Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Last updated

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federally assisted program created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help subsidize the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables during non-meal times during school.

Contents

Overview

The FFVP was created to improve children's diets both at school and at home, increase the variety of foods available to students, and create healthier school food environments. The program focuses on providing students with fresh fruit and vegetables, as snacks, outside normal breakfast and lunch hours during the school day. [1] [2]

Components

Fruits and vegetables are to be given as snacks outside normal mealtime hours as dictated by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program. [3]

There are limitations on how produce can be prepared. Dip must be low- or non-fat, and cooked vegetables are to be limited to once a week. [4] It is recommended to use pre-cut fruit and vegetable trays to ease storage and serving. [5]

As of September 2016, canned, frozen, and dried produce are not reimbursed under the FFVP, [6] although there is a bill, Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016, with a provision that increases the FFVP's scope to include canned, frozen, and dried produce. [7]

The USDA recommends that schools also include an education section on the food the students are being served, but it is currently not a requirement. [8] [9]

Eligibility

Elementary schools are eligible for the FFVP if at least 50% of the student body is on free or reduced price meals through the NSLP. Priority is given to schools with greater percentages of disadvantaged students. The state is in charge of making sure that all eligible schools are informed of the FFVP, and whether funding is available. [10] [11]

Eligible schools are in charge of sending in applications (though an incomplete application will not disqualify a school from receiving aid), and cannot violate any requirements of any other Food and Nutrition Service programs. If there is more funding than eligible schools, a district may allow schools with less than 50% participation in free and reduced-price meals. If there is not enough funding, the district is allowed to impose more stringent requirements.

Applications are to be submitted the year before the school desires the program put into place. Applications require the total number of enrolled students and the percentage who are eligible for free and reduced meal programs; a certificate of support signed by the school food manager, school principal, and the district superintendent or equivalent position; and a plan for program implementation, along with any other programs the school is implementing to decrease obesity and increase the average health of its students. [12]

Funding

The FFVP currently receives $177 million per year, as of the 2015–2016 school year, [13] and is adjusted for inflation. Each state, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam, each get 1% of annual funding, and the rest is distributed according to population. The funds are then distributed to schools to allow $50–$75 per student per year. [14]

Current more than 25% of elementary schools in the United States are participating in the FFVP. [15]

History

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized the FFVP pilot program in four states and one Indian Tribal Organization. As the program became more popular, its reach extended to several more states and tribal lands due to the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. [16] The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 (or the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Act) extended its reach further, and the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Bill expanded the program to all states. [17]

Reception

Evaluations of the FFVP have been positive, with a slight increase in participating students' average fruit and vegetable consumption without a corresponding increase in daily calories. [18] [19] Students also had a more positive view towards fruits and vegetables during the program, and 91% teachers and other school administrators have also reported favorable opinions towards the program. Teachers observed that students are more able to focus in the evenings and aren't as hungry at the end of the day.

The FFVP also helps reduce childhood obesity [20] and is a more cost-effective method than other efforts to reduce childhood obesity. [21] [22]

Although the FFVP has been largely lauded, there are a few criticisms and controversies. The biggest one is a criticism of the program's dedication to fresh produce, instead of also permitting other forms of produce – such as canned, frozen, or dried – which are frequently cheaper. [23] [24]

Vs DoD Program of the similar name

There is another program named the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program that is funded by the United States Department of Defense. The DoD's FFVP was created in 1996 to help schools procure more fresh fruits and vegetables for their students. [25] The program serves as a go-between for schools and fresh produce vendors, allowing schools to order food directly from local growers, and allows schools to allocate some of their Food Distribution Program funds to fresh produce. [26]

Schools involved in the DoA's FFVP are allowed to use funds from the DoD's FFVP in order to purchase fresh produce.

Related Research Articles

Food and Nutrition Service U.S. federal anti-hunger agency

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FNS is the federal agency responsible for administering the nation’s domestic nutrition assistance programs. The service helps to address the issue of hunger in the United States.

National School Lunch Act United States Law

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act is a 1946 United States federal law that created the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to provide low-cost or free school lunch meals to qualified students through subsidies to schools. The program was established as a way to prop up food prices by absorbing farm surpluses, while at the same time providing food to school age children. It was named after Richard Russell, Jr., signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in 1946, and entered the federal government into schools' dietary programs on June 4, 1946.

The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) is a United States federal law (act) signed on October 11, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a result of the "years of cumulative successful experience under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to help meet the nutritional needs of children." The National School Lunch Program feeds 30.5 million children per day. NSLP was operated in over 101,000 public and nonprofit private schools in 2007. The Special Milk Program, functioning since 1954, was extended to June 30, 1970 and incorporated into the act. The act also provided Federal funding assistance towards non-food purchases for school equipment.

School meal Meal provided to students at school

A school meal or school lunch is a meal provided to students and sometimes teachers at a school, typically in the middle or beginning of the school day. Countries around the world offer various kinds of school meal programs. Each week day, millions of children from all standards and grades receive meals at their respective schools. School meals in twelve or more countries provide high-energy food with high nutritional values either free or at economical rates.

Food policy Area of public policy

Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced, processed, distributed, purchased, or provided. Food policies are designed to influence the operation of the food and agriculture system balanced with ensuring human health needs. This often includes decision-making around production and processing techniques, marketing, availability, utilization and consumption of food, in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policy can be promulgated on any level, from local to global, and by a government agency, business, or organization. Food policymakers engage in activities such as regulation of food-related industries, establishing eligibility standards for food assistance programs for the poor, ensuring safety of the food supply, food labeling, and even the qualifications of a product to be considered organic.

Ketchup as a vegetable

The ketchup as a vegetable controversy refers to proposed United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) regulations, early in the presidency of Ronald Reagan, that intended to provide more flexibility in meal planning to local school lunch administrators coping with National School Lunch Plan subsidy cuts enacted by the Omnibus Regulation Acts of 1980 and 1981. The regulations allowed administrators the opportunity to credit items not explicitly listed that met nutritional requirements. While ketchup was not mentioned in the original regulations, pickle relish was used as an example of an item that could count as a vegetable. A similar controversy arose in 2011, when Congress passed a bill prohibiting the USDA from increasing the amount of tomato paste required to constitute a vegetable; the bill allowed pizza with two tablespoons of tomato paste to qualify as a vegetable.

Farm to School is a program in the United States through which schools buy and feature locally produced, farm-fresh foods such as dairy, fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans on their menus. Schools also incorporate nutrition-based curriculum and provide students with experiential learning opportunities such as farm visits, garden-based learning, and recycling programs. As a result of Farm to School, students have access to fresh, local foods, and farmers have access to new markets through school sales. Farmers are also able to participate in programs designed to educate kids about local food and agriculture.

Nutritional rating systems are used to communicate the nutritional value of food in a more-simplified manner, with a ranking, than nutrition facts labels. A system may be targeted at a specific audience. Rating systems have been developed by governments, non-profit organizations, private institutions, and companies. Common methods include point systems to rank foods based on general nutritional value or ratings for specific food attributes, such as cholesterol content. Graphics and symbols may be used to communicate the nutritional values to the target audience.

Nancy Montanez Johner

Nancy Lou Montanez Johner is the Chief Executive Officer of Pathfinder Support Services. Montanez was appointed as Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services within the United States Department of Agriculture in August 2006 and terminated in January 2009. She was sworn in on August 21, 2006. Prior to her appointment, she had been the Director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. She had held this post since being appointed to the position by Governor Mike Johanns in March 2004. She is a native of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Obesity in Mexico Overview of obesity in Mexico

Obesity in Mexico is a relatively recent phenomenon, having been widespread since the 1980s with the introduction of processed food into much of the Mexican food market. Prior to that, dietary issues were limited to under and malnutrition, which is still a problem in various parts of the country. Following trends already ongoing in other parts of the world, Mexicans have been foregoing traditional whole grains and vegetables in favor of a diet with more animal products and processed foods. It has seen dietary energy intake and rates of overweight and obese people rise with seven out of ten at least overweight and a third clinically obese.

Fruits & Veggies – More Matters is a national public health initiative from Produce for Better Health Foundation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This campaign, begun in 2007, took the place of the 5 A Day program. The shift was implemented in order to better communicate updated dietary guidelines, which recommended more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for some Americans.

Reduced-price meal is a term used in the United States to describe a federally reimbursable meal, or snack, served to a qualified child when the family of the child's income is between 130 and 185 percent of the US federal poverty threshold. Schools may not charge more than US$0.40 for reduced-price lunches, nor more than US$0.30 for reduced-price breakfasts.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is a federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2010. The law is part of the reauthorization of funding for child nutrition. It funded child nutrition programs and free lunch programs in schools for 5 years. In addition, the law set new nutrition standards for schools, and allocated $4.5 billion for their implementation. The new nutrition standards were a centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity. In FY 2011, federal spending totaled $10.1 billion for the National School Lunch Program. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows USDA, for the first time in 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and Michelle Obama were a step in transforming the food pyramid recommendation, which has been around since the early 1990s, into what is now known as "MyPlate".

Nutrition education is a set of learning experiences designed to assist in healthy eating choices and other nutrition-related behavior. It includes any combination of educational strategies, accompanied by environmental supports, designed to facilitate voluntary adoption of food choices and other food and nutrition-related behaviors conducive to health and well-being. Nutrition education is delivered through multiple venues and involves activities at the individual, community, and policy levels. Nutrition Education also critically looks at issues such as food security, food literacy, and food sustainability.

Wholesome Wave is a U.S. nonprofit organization that creates partnership-based programs that enable underserved consumers to make healthier food choices by increasing affordable access to health, locally and regionally grown foods. The organization addresses complex problems through simple solutions with a vision towards healthy, affordable food for all. Wholesome Wave operates two nutrition incentive programs, the Double Value Coupon Program and the Fruit & Vegetable Prescription Program, which tackle the issue of affordability for underserved consumers. Accessibility is emphasized through their supply chain work with food hubs, retail outlets and convenience stores. Wholesome Wave's innovative programs address the complex issues of food insecurity, farm viability, economic vitality of local communities, and diet-related diseases. Wholesome Wave was founded in 2007 by Michael Batterberry, Gus Schumacher and Michel Nischan.

Criticism of fast food

Criticism of fast food includes claims of negative health effects, animal cruelty, cases of worker exploitation, children targeted marketing and claims of cultural degradation via shifts in people's eating patterns away from traditional foods. Fast food chains have come under fire from consumer groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a longtime fast food critic over issues such as caloric content, trans fats and portion sizes. Social scientists have highlighted how the prominence of fast food narratives in popular urban legends suggests that modern consumers have an ambivalent relationship with fast food, particularly in relation to children.

Farmers Market Nutrition Program / Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is a federal assistance program in the United States associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children that provides fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables and nutrition education to WIC participants. Women, infants and children that have been certified to receive WIC program benefits or who are on a waiting list for WIC certification are eligible to participate in the FMNP.

School meal programs in the United States provide school meals free of charge, or at a government-subsidized price, to U.S. students from low-income families. These free or subsidized meals have the potential to increase household food security, which can improve children's health and expand their educational opportunities. A study of a free school meal program in the United States found that providing free meals to elementary and middle school children in areas characterized by high food insecurity led to increased school discipline among the students.

This is a list of food desert issues and solutions by country.

References

  1. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program" (PDF). Food and Nutrition Service. September 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program". Food Research and Action Center. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program" (PDF). Food and Nutrition Service. September 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: A Handbook for Schools" (PDF). The United States Department of Agriculture. December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ Billy Jean Louis (22 June 2016). "K-6 Yellville students to eat exotic fruits, vegetables". The Baxter Bulletin. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: A Handbook for Schools" (PDF). The United States Department of Agriculture. December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ Staff Writers (29 April 2016). "Midwest Food Processors Laud Legislation Expanding School Snack Program". Milwaukee Community Journal. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. ↑ Rhonda Watson (21 July 2016). "Grant will provide healthy snacks to elementary schools". McDowellNews.com. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: A Handbook for Schools" (PDF). The United States Department of Agriculture. December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program". Food Research and Action Center. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  11. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program". Federal Register. 5 March 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  12. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: Eligibility Requirements". Federal Register. 5 March 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  13. ↑ Staff Writers. "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program". United Fresh Produce Administration. Retrieved 25 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  14. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program". Food Research and Action Center. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  15. ↑ Ohri-Vachaspati P, Turner L, Chaloupka FJ (June 2012). "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program participation in elementary schools in the United States and availability of fruits and vegetables in school lunch meals". J Acad Nutr Diet. 112: 921–6. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2012.02.025. PMID   22709817.
  16. ↑ Staff Writers (12 September 2013). "Program History". Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved 25 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  17. ↑ "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program". Food Research and Action Center. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  18. ↑ "Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Final Evaluation Report" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. March 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  19. ↑ Mary Story; Marilyn S Nanney; Marlene B Schwartz (March 2009). "Schools and Obesity Prevention: Creating School Environments and Policies to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity". Milbank Q. 87: 71–100. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00548.x. PMC   2879179 . PMID   19298416.
  20. ↑ Yiwei Qian; Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr.; Michael R. Thomsen; Heather L. Rouse (27 May 2015). "The Effect of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program on Childhood Obesity". Oxford Journals. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  21. ↑ Ma, S; Frick, KD (July 2011). "A simulation of affordability and effectiveness of childhood obesity interventions". Acad Pediatr. 11: 342–50. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2011.04.005. PMID   21764018.
  22. ↑ Lindsey Haynes-Maslow (14 September 2015). "A Single Federal Program Cut Obesity by 3% (And Saved Twice What It Cost)". Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved 4 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  23. ↑ Helena Bottemiller Evich (23 September 2015). "The Carrot War Gets Serious". Politico. Retrieved 6 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  24. ↑ Bettina Elias Siegel (3 May 2016). "Is the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program About to Get Sliced and Diced?". Civil Eats. Retrieved 6 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  25. ↑ "Department of the Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  26. ↑ "Using DoD Fresh to Purchase Local Produce" (PDF). Food and Nutrition Service. Jul 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.