Commodity Improvements and New Bonus Offering Survey 19
TO: School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Sponsors
FROM: Emily Malone
Minnesota Department of Education
Food and Nutrition Service
DATE: August 15, 2007
SUBJECT: Commodity Improvements and New Bonus Offering Survey 19
Welcome back to another exciting school year. Minnesota Food and Nutrition Service has been building inventories at Newport Cold Storage over the summer so that commodities are available for the start of school.
Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to review all of their commodities and, where necessary, bring them in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Listed below are updates on their recent improvements in commodities offered to schools and other child nutrition programs.
Whole Grains
The DGA recommends increasing consumption of whole grains. In addition to USDA current offerings of whole wheat flour and brown rice, they just recently made whole grain spaghetti and whole grain pasta-rotini available for schools to order. It is also possible a quick-cook brown rice and whole grain macaroni will be offered shortly.
Minnesota FNS is offering a Bonus Survey 19 of B836, whole grain spaghetti (not rotini), dry, in 20lb containers. Survey 19 is open from August 15 – August 31, 2007.
Trans Fats
The DGA recommend keeping trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible. Accordingly, beginning this school year 2008, the specifications for frozen potato rounds, ovens, and wedges have been revised to eliminate the trans fats from them. Hence, hydrogenated oils or oils that may increase the total fat content cannot be used in processing these products. As a result of removing the trans fats from these potato products, schools may receive some product where the primary packaging will have a slightly greasy appearance resulting from the use of non hydrogenated oils that do not solidify like hydrogenated oils. However, the potato rounds, ovens, and wedges will be healthier products, and they can be served in the same manner as in the past. In the meantime, the USDA’s procurement agency, the Agricultural Marketing Service, will be working with vendors to have them switch to commercial poly bags.
Minnesota FNS has placed orders with USDA for A174 (potato wedges) and A210 (oven potatoes) and as long as all Minnesota orders were filled with the SY2008 specifications, they will all be trans fat free. Minnesota FNS will also be offering the baked fat free wedge that was available for sample at the 2007 MSNA conference in Rochester. Look forward to seeing a survey with the baked fat free wedges in the near future.
Sugars
The DGA recommends choosing and preparing foods with little added sugars (caloric sweeteners). Thus, the USDA commodity specification for canned applesauce has been revised to require it to be unsweetened. However, schools will continue to receive sweetened applesauce until vendors begin to produce applesauce from their fall crops of apples. At that point, all canned applesauce will be unsweetened.
There has not been any communication from USDA as to whether other canned fruit offerings will also be unsweetened or whether the currently light syrups will change further.
Minnesota FNS is thrilled to be able to share this information. Please feel free to send comments and feedback to MDE-FNS as we appreciate your insight.
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