Hello and welcome to the USDA Foods available list webinar.

This webinar will be in listen mode only.

This webinar is designed to provide information about the USDA Foods Available List.

USDA Foods are 100 american grown food items purchased by USDA for use in the child nutrition programs.

USDA purchases food to support the agricultural industry.

Schools on the National School Lunch Program for at least one school year are eligible to participate in the USDA Foods Program.

USDA Foods cuts the school's food budget by 15 to 20 percent.

For more information on USDA foods visit the link on this slide.

The USDA Foods Available List is a list of USDA foods that are available or expected to be available for schools.

It contains approximately 200 different food items.

The list is subject to change based on market availability.

All USDA Foods on the Foods Available List are assigned an identifying material code number by USDA.

The list has three pages of products.

A snapshot of the USDA Foods Available List is on the next slide.

The USDA Foods Available List was created by USDA for use in the child nutrition programs.

USDA purchases these USDA food items, which include fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy products, grains and oils.

USDA publishes and updates it annually to reflect items that are added or deleted.

The USDA Foods Available List is usually published by USDA at the end of each year.

The Foods Available List is created for and used by state agencies.

IDOE uses the list when creating the annual pre-order survey.

The list can be viewed at the link listed on this slide.

IDOE uses the Foods Available List when deciding which USDA foods to offer to schools during the pre-order survey.

The annual pre-order survey is the tool used by IDOE to determine which USDA Foods will be ordered from USDA for the next school year.

The pre-order survey is a request-driven system based on student preferences, popular items, and shelf life.

As stated previously, the USDA Foods Available List is a list of USDA Foods that are available or expected to be available for schools.

It contains 200 food products and the list is subject to change based on market availability.

School Food Professionals should familiarize themselves with the USDA Foods Available List.

Contact IDOE about the Foods Available List items your school would like to see offered.

Remember that the updated list is available annually and the pre-order survey reflects the items available on the Foods Available List.

Listed on this slide is the contact information for our food distribution team.

Please don't hesitate to contact us with your questions.

This concludes the presentation.

Thank you for listening.