USDA Foods in Schools
The USDA Foods Distribution Program (FDP), also known as USDA Foods in Schools, is one of the Child Nutrition Programs administered by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Through this program, eligible institutions, also known as Recipient Agencies (RAs) and/or School Food Authorities (SFAs), are able to receive food made available by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) called USDA Foods.
USDA Foods are foods purchased by the USDA and donated to school districts for use in their food service operation.
- USDA Foods are cheeses, fruits, vegetables, meat/meat alternatives, and grains which are in canned, frozen or dried varieties.
- USDA Foods can be used in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP), After School Snack Program (ASSP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors.
- All school food authorities must have submitted reimbursement claims for at least one school year for to be eligible.
- The school sponsor’s meals cannot be vended or catered, however, they can contract with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC).
USDA Foods Distribution Handbook
USDA Foods in the National School Lunch Program White Paper - explains the role of USDA Foods in the National School Lunch Program.
FNS-101: USDA Foods in Child Nutrition Programs
IDOE Food Distribution Program Year At-A-Glance Calendar
Processors
& Processing
CompaniesInstructions for placing
Direct Delivery (Brown
Box) USDA Foods DoD Fresh Fruit
& Vegetable
Program Forms
and
Checklists Annual
Pre-Order
Survey Disasters
and
Recalls
- Policies and Regulations
- USDA FDP Policies
- FD-064 - Management of Donated Food Inventories at Processors
- FD-145 - USDA Foods Processing Program (Cancellation of Policy Memoranda FD-009, FD-025, FD-130, FD102, FD-030, FD-038, FD-048, FD-103, and FD-108)
- CFR 210.16 - Food Service Management Companies (FSMCs) and USDA Foods
- CFR 250.1 - Donated Foods (USDA Foods) Use, Delivery and Distribution
- Policy Memo FD-002 Determining School and Child Care Entitlements
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations for USDA Foods
- Part 250-Donation of Foods for Use in the United States and it's Territories
- USDA Foods Product and Fact Sheets
The USDA Foods Product Information Sheets
The USDA Foods Product Information Sheets below include descriptions and are a composite of information vendors have voluntarily provided for direct delivered (formerly known as "brown box) only. Some of the products listed may not be available in Indiana. Specific information regarding products is available by contacting the individual vendor.
- Disposal of USDA Foods
- USDA Foods Program Fees
Video: USDA Foods Invoices, Invoice Credits and Program Fees
Excess Storage Fees and Charges
Charges will be based on the following table, which represent our average actual contract costs for the current year:
Type of Storage Cost of Storage How Often Will it Be Charged? Dry $0.84 Monthly, per case Cooler $0.94 Monthly, per case Freezer $1.12 Monthly, per case Administrative Fees
Type of Fees Fee Amount How/How Often Will it Be Charged? Administrative Fees for Direct Delivered (Brown Box) $3.75 Per case Administrative Fees for Pounds Sent to Processors $.01 cent Per pound, charged one time per year Warehouse Delivery Drop Fees
Type of Fees Fee Amount How/How Often Will it Be Charged? State Assigned Warehouse Delivery Drop Fees $15.00 For each site that has less than 10 cases delivered - Expire and Close Dates
Expire Dates Close Dates - The expire date is listed in the CNPweb FDP link in the fifth column under the Inventory tab.
- It is the latest date that direct delivered (brown box) USDA Foods must be delivered by the state assigned warehouses (Dilgard Frozen Foods, Stanz-Troyers Foodservice, or Wabash Foods) to the SFA to avoid excess storage fees.
- This is approximately 45 days after the USDA Food has been allocated into the SFA’s inventory.
- Excess storage fees can be avoided if the USDA Foods are delivered to the SFA’s delivery sites before the expire date.
- For more information on excess storage fee amounts, please visit https://www.in.gov/doe/nutrition/foods-distribution-program/ under the “USDA Foods Program Fees” dropdown box.
- The close date is listed in the CNPweb FDP link in the sixth column under the Inventory tab.
- The latest date a USDA Food can remain an SFA’s inventory before it is swept and placed into surplus for redistribution to other schools.
- This is approximately 6 months after the USDA Foods have been allocated into the SFA’s inventory.
- Cleared allocations can be avoided by placing USDA Foods on an order form and having the product delivered to the SFA’s sites before the close date.
- Published Assistance Rate
School Year 2025
The effective published rate for the period July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, is $0.45 per meal for NSLP schools. This includes the estimated per meal rate plus the 12% provision and 20 million breakfast dollars.
School Year 2024
The effective published rate for the period July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, is $0.3650 per meal for NSLP schools. This includes the estimated per meal rate plus the 12% provision and 20 million breakfast dollars.
- IDOE Advisory Council
Quick Access
CNPweb
Contact
Cheryl Moore, for Direct Delivered USDA Foods cmoore@doe.in.gov
Brian Lafayette, for USDA Foods Inventory blafayette@doe.in.gov
Linda Smith, for Processed USDA Foods lrsmith@doe.in.gov
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.