FNS Documents & Resources

Recently, FNS has received a number of questions related to buying local meat, poultry, game, and eggs; this memorandum seeks to clarify the regulatory requirements related to food safety and answer specific questions related to these products with a series of questions and answers.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will discontinue the requirement for vendors to use high security seals to secure USDA Foods deliveries as of July 1, 2023. 

This memorandum provides clarification on the value pass through methods available under 7 CFR 250.36 and on the timing of processor inventory reductions of USDA Foods under each system.

This memorandum addresses inventory limitations and requirements that USDA Foods processors must follow when manufacturing processed end products for use in child nutrition programs.

This memorandum is meant to provide clarification and guidance on policies and procedures for donated food storage and distribution as they relate to product dating.

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to provide further guidance and clarity on new donated food insurance requirements for state distributing agencies, subdistributing agencies, select commercial storage facilities, and recipient agencies that have agreements with the state distributing agency or subdistributing agency to store and distribute donated foods.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the incorporation of local foods and agriculture-based curriculum in early childhood education and care settings, clarifies policies in the recently published FNS Instruction relevant to local food production and procurement, and includes questions and answers regarding procuring local food for use in the CACFP.

The attached questions and answers are intended to address state agency concerns about the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on SNAP. 

State agencies must exercise diligence to ensure that TEFAP food inventories are managed effectively, efficiently, and without waste. The purpose of this policy memorandum is to provide state agencies with the direction and guidance necessary in maintaining proper inventory levels of USDA Foods for TEFAP, including the estimation of monthly utilization rates for new or bonus USDA Foods for which there are no historical usage records.

Attached are additional questions and answers in response to issues raised by state agencies on SNAP certification and eligibility provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.