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?