District/School Administration PK-16 Program Support
Nutrition, Health and Safety

Commodity Update
January 2008

Donated Food Ordering Procedures

Electronic Commodity Food Allocation/Acceptance Notice

All schools, including Residential Child Care Institutions and Child and Adult Care Centers are required to submit the Food Allocation/Acceptance Notice (offer sheet) electronically via the Internet. Schools and Child and Adult Care Centers no longer receive a printed offer sheet, Commodity Update or notices from this office. Offer sheets will be available on line the fourth Friday of the preceding month. Orders must be submitted by the third Friday of the month for which the offer sheet is available. After that date, the foods listed on the offer will be reallocated with the next month's offers. January's order is due no later than January 18, 2008.

Please allow five days from the date you submit your order before calling the warehouse or carrier for a delivery date. All orders must be picked up by the end of the following month.

Direct Diversion Surveys for Processing for SY 2008-2009

The direct diversion survey for Group A foods will be available on line through the ESE's security portal the first week on January. Schools and Child and Adult Care Centers that want USDA commodity meat, poultry and eggs diverted for processed products in school year 2008-2009 must complete the diversion survey online. Printed requests for the direct diversion survey for Group A commodities will not be accepted.

The direct diversion survey for meat, poultry and eggs must be submitted online no later than March 21, 2008. This deadline is necessary so that when USDA sends out allocations for each donated food, we will know the shipping destinations. Our timely ordering of USDA group A-type foods helps us to get processed products to you earlier in the next school year.

The direct diversion survey for Group B commodities, cheese and peanut butter, must be submitted online no later than January 18, 2008.

The following documents regarding processing are available in the Document and Reference Library:

Group B Direct Diversion Survey Submission
Procedures for Handling Processed Product Between Contracted Warehouses and Schools.
Refund/Rebate Payments.
Approved Processors in Massachusetts-School Year 2007-2008.

More Information regarding the processing program is available at the USDA Food Distribution website at www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/. Click on Commodity Processing in the yellow box on the right side of the page.

Use of USDA Donated Foods in Home Economics Classes

Recently, we have received numerous requests for information concerning commodities and their availability, if any, to home economics classes and/or culinary arts programs. By definition home economics classes and culinary arts classes are regular classes that teach students general independent living and consumer skills, including food preparation.

Distribution of commodities to home economics classes and culinary arts classes is at the discretion of the food service director based on the availability of appropriate items and the current needs of the food service department where the National School Lunch Program exists. No extra commodities are allocated to schools for use by home economics classes or culinary arts classes, and no replacement commodities will be given to schools if their allocated commodities are distributed to a home economics or culinary arts classes. The commodities may be used for preparing foods that will be consumed by the students participating in the home economics class. Under no circumstances may the commodities be used in foods that will be sold by the home economics class to students, faculty or the public unless the proceeds are returned to the school's non-profit food service program. The home economics department should reimburse the lunch program for any service or trucking charges.

Food Distribution Staff Directory

Martha Herlihy, Section Head 781-338-6473
mherlihy@doe.mass.edu

Ahmed Bilimoria
781-338-6506
abilimoria@doe.mass.edu
Internet offer sheet questions, Shipping and receiving questions

Darlene Wong-Kam
781-338-6478
Dwong-kam@doe.mass.edu
Processing questions

Alice Yee
781-338-6453
ayee@doe.mass.edu
Invoice reprints

Michael Murphy
781-338-6542
mjmurphy@doe.mass.edu
Invoice reprints