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21st Century USDA Foods
Laura Walter, MPH, RDFood and Nutrition ServiceFood Distribution Division
December 2011
Agenda
• Choosing USDA Foods
• USDA Foods Communications Initiative
• USDA Foods updates
Why Choose USDA Foods?
• Stretch school food budgets• Choice and convenience• Healthy and tasty• Offerings reflect demand
USDA Foods Improvements
More Whole Grains
Fewer Added Sugars
Less Sodium
Less Fat
Leaner Meats
Reducing Fat, Sugar & Sodium…Reducing Fat, Sugar & Sodium… Eliminated trans fats in frozen potatoes and
peanut butter Reduced sugars in canned fruits Lowered sodium in canned vegetables Lowered fat and sodium in processed
cheeses, meats, poultry
USDA Foods ImprovementsUSDA Foods Improvements
USDA Foods Improvements• More Whole Grains– Whole wheat flour – Tortillas– Pancakes– Pastas– Rolled Oats– Brown Rice (regular and par-boiled)– Dry Kernel Corn for further processing
• More fruits and vegetables– Fresh sliced apples, baby carrots
USDA Foods ImprovementsUSDA Foods Improvements
Despite the many improvements, there are still misperceptions about USDA Foods and the NSLP. USDA is taking action to educate the public about USDA Foods and the NSLP and replace fiction with fact.
USDA Foods Communications Initiative
BeyondChron: San Francisco BeyondChron: San Francisco Alternative Online DailyAlternative Online Daily:“Commodities (are) low
quality or high in fat.”
School Lunches: Helping Kids Eat Commodities“… it's no surprise that the USDA's allegiance to corporate interests wins out over its duty to America's children.”
Editorial“…the Agriculture Department buys surpluses of unhealthful meat and funnels it through federal food programs to our nation's most unsuspecting consumers -- schoolchildren.”
“The long list of (commodity)options includes high-fat, low-grade meats and cheeses and processed foods…”
Atlanta Journal - Constitution“The government (is) feeding our kids the meat industry's leftovers.”
USDA Foods: Changing perceptions
Over 180 Healthy Choices 100% American GrownFood safety standards are set highAccount for 15-20% of school food
purchasesRequest-driven: School districts are not
required to accept foods they don’t want
USDA Foods Communications Initiative
Target Audiences Year 1
Focus GroupsBenchmark Survey
Message development“Rebranding” – new LOGO!Materials and outreach
USDA Foods Communications Initiative
Benchmark Survey:471 Child Nutrition Professionals
USDA Foods Communications Initiative
• More than 75% believe the foods served through school meal programs are nutritious, tasty, healthy, wholesome, convenient, low-fat and provide a variety of quality foods at good value.• Less than 50% agree that the food served in the meal programs is low-sodium.• Majority agree that USDA Foods help stretch tight budgets and offers one way to stretch limited meal budgets for the 94% of schools participating in the NSLP.• Most indicate they are willing to take action to promote the USDA Foods program through communications and events.
This survey helped USDA establish a baseline to evaluate progress
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
The Tangibles to Increase Awareness of the USDA Foods program…
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
• Campaign schematic outlining purpose, goals, and tactics through the initiative
• Partnership plan highlighting potential partners and activities with those partners
• Editorials bylined by Janey Thornton
Completed in 2011
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
• 6 new banners – artwork available
• Ad in SNA Magazine and online button linked SNA Web site to FDD Web site
• FDD Web site audit
• Shift from “commodities” to “USDA Foods”
Completed in 2011
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
New materials in the USDA Foods Toolkit:o Style guide outlining appropriate use of USDA
Foods program identifier
o Two PowerPoint's – one for school administrators and one overview of the USDA Foods program (with talking points)
o USDA Foods video – 5 minute program
o Two-page fact sheet
o SNA ANC culinary demo recipes featuring USDA Foods
Completed in 2011
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
New Artwork and Ads
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
USDA Foods Communications Initiative
Clickable button on the schoolnutrition.org site
USDA Foods Communications InitiativeYear 1 Lessons Learned
• Child Nutrition Professionals are our ambassadors for the program!
• Materials are in demand
• FDD depends on external partners to share new resources
• FDD needs visual images to create new resources and provide more frequent contact with partners
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
Focus for 2012
• CNP tracking survey (with SNA members) to evaluate “how far we’ve come”
• Parent benchmark survey (similar to 1st benchmark survey with CNPs)
• Photo shoot – 15 photos will be shot for FDD purposes – ½ cafeteria/school setting; ½ studio shots
USDA FoodsCommunications Initiative
Focus for 2012
• Conference poster and cafeteria posters
• Advertising plan and earned media targeting parents
• USDA Foods mobile site with up to 10 mobile site pages
• Develop model specifications for food offered in CN Programs
• Analyze quality of nutritional info. available on food service products and USDA Foods and report to Congress
• Purchase the widest variety of healthful USDA Foods
Other Updates Other Updates Section 242 of Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act requires the Secretary to:
Other Updates
School Year 2012 – Per meal rate = .2225 – Estimated $1.3 billion total nationally
• $80 million allocated for DoD Fresh
Challenges – high prices, limited supply, delaysturkey, tuna, some F/V, peanut products
Making progress – fresh sliced apples and baby carrotsexploring new products – frozen broccoli,
white whole wheat flour ordering timeframes for SY 13
www.fns.usda.gov/USDAFoods
Questions?
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