On April 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The 2024 final rule included an optional provision that continues to allow the substitution of vegetables for fruits at breakfast and provides schools with greater menu planning flexibility at breakfast as compared to the previous regulations. This memorandum provides updated guidance on the substitution of vegetables for fruits in the School Breakfast Program.
On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The rule finalized practical, science-based, long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, extensive partner input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings. This memorandum updates and clarifies current guidance for fluid milk requirements in school meal programs following publication of the 2024 final rule.
On Sept. 26, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (continuing resolution). This memorandum is intended to clarify the impact of the continuing resolution on upcoming SNAP benefit issuance and stolen benefits replacements.
FNS has estimated the number of new discretionary exemptions each state has earned for FY 2025. States that operated under a statewide waiver of the ABAWD time limit did not earn any new exemptions.
This letter serves as notice to all WIC state agencies that effective Sept. 18, 2024, the Secretary of Agriculture has declared that a Supply Chain Disruption exists in certain non-contract WIC state agencies where the ability of participants to obtain their prescribed Mead Johnson formulas is impacted due to limited stock.
This letter serves as notice to all WIC state agencies that effective Sept. 20, 2024, the Secretary of Agriculture has reaffirmed that a Supply Chain Disruption exists with Gerber infant formula contracts.
This memorandum addresses questions we have received about the provisions of the CAA that affect the Nutrition Assistance Programs in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Effective as of the October 2024 SNAP quality control sample month, all reviewers must follow the procedures outlined in the updated FNS Handbook 310 dated October 2024.
This guidance is intended to assist state agencies and program operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program in meeting the longstanding federal requirement to collect race and ethnicity data of program participants.
This letter is to inform state agencies operating the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, including Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. territories who operate CSFP, of the opportunity to receive funding, in the form of direct cash assistance, for the purchase of domestically grown and produced foods.