[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 136 (Wednesday, July 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38056-38058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18662]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Consumer Service


Public Notice of Findings in Yield Research for Revision of 
``Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs''

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that beginning in July, 1997 the Food 
and Consumer Service (FCS) will post monthly notices concerning 
preliminary yield research findings on the Healthy School Meals 
Resource System at http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov:8001. The yield 
research information will be both for new foods to be included in the 
next revision of the ``Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs'' 
and for currently listed foods reexamined using the latest in food 
testing technology. FCS is posting this yield information so that 
interested members of the public, including industry representatives, 
can review and comment on the findings and the related methodology 
prior to finalizing the yield data for the next revision of the Food 
Buying Guide.

DATES: This notice is effective July 16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on research findings or requests for yield 
research on specific items to Linda Ebert, Nutritionist, Nutrition and 
Technical Services Division, Food and Consumer Service, USDA, 3101 Park 
Center Drive, Room 607, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Ebert at (703) 305-2632.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and thus is exempt from the provisions of that 
Act.

[[Page 38057]]

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This notice does not contain reporting or recordkeeping 
requirements subject to approval by the Office of Management and Budget 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507).

Executive Order 12372

    The National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, 
the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service 
Program are listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 
Nos. 10.555, 10.553, 10.558, and 10.559, respectively, and are subject 
to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires 
intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials (7 CFR 
part 3015, Subpart V, and the final rule-related notice published at 48 
FR 29112, June 24, 1983).

Background

    The Food and Consumer Service (FCS), USDA, administers various 
child nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, 
the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, 
and the Summer Food Service Program. Program guidance and training 
materials prepared must be provided to food service personnel and 
constantly updated in order to improve the quality of the food served 
and to promote the efficient management of food assistance programs. An 
integral component of this guidance is laboratory-based yield research 
on institutional packed foods that are used to prepare meals in 
conformance with program regulations.
    One of the basic program aids prepared by FCS is the ``Food Buying 
Guide for Child Nutrition Programs,'' Program Aid No. 1331 (Food Buying 
Guide). It is used extensively in several areas related to child 
nutrition programs:

    Food Service Personnel--The Food Buying Guide provides 
information for planning and calculating the required quantities of 
food to be purchased and used by school food authorities and other 
institutions participating in child nutrition programs. It is the 
cornerstone upon which meals are planned, prepared, and analyzed for 
meeting food-based meal pattern requirements for each component of a 
federally reimbursable meal. The Food Buying Guide defines the 
number of servings (i.e., yield), per purchase unit for most foods 
used in these programs. These yields are used in recipes to ensure 
that meal requirements for child nutrition programs are being met. 
Precise data is essential. In addition, it is an important tool to 
enable school food authorities using a food-based menu planning 
system to comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as 
required by section 9(f)(1) of the National School Lunch Act, 42 
U.S.C. 1758(f)(1).
    Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling--The Food Buying Guide is also 
used in establishing a commercial product's contribution toward meal 
pattern requirements in the CN label review process. Section 4(d) of 
the CN labeling regulations found in Appendix C to 7 CFR parts 210, 
220, 225, and 226 state, ``Yields for determining the product's 
contribution toward meal pattern requirements must be calculated 
using the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (Program 
Aid Number 1331).''
    Therefore, the Food Buying Guide is a valuable tool for members 
of the food industry serving child nutrition programs. Another use 
of the Food Buying Guide in the CN labeling program is in 
determining component yields for new products containing foods not 
listed in the Food Buying Guide. If ingredients are not contained in 
the Food Buying Guide, they can be compared to similar ingredients 
in the Food Buying Guide. If a close match can be found, a yield can 
be assigned to the new product without having to do extensive 
studies on the product to determine a yield.
    Child Nutrition Database--Finally, the Food Buying Guide 
provides an essential data set in the Child Nutrition Database. This 
database is required by 7 CFR 210.10(i)(4) and 220.8(e)(4) to be 
used in USDA-approved software programs for school food authorities 
using nutrient standard menu planning systems. The database has 
incorporated the Food Buying Guide so that there is on-line access 
to yield data, i.e., information for ready-to-serve, ready-to-cook, 
cooked, or otherwise prepared food that would be obtained from a 
specific market unit of food as purchased. This food yield data 
provides the user with information necessary for the ``Yield Factor 
Method'' of nutrient analysis of school recipes and menu plans. This 
is critical for accurate analysis and to enable schools to plan 
meals that comply with the established nutrient standards for school 
meals.

    The last laboratory research incorporated into the Food Buying 
Guide was completed in May, 1980. The Food Buying Guide has since 
received minor revision in 1984, and again in 1990 and 1995. Because 
food technology and processing have changed so dramatically in the last 
fifteen years, it is now imperative to update the current edition. USDA 
has contracted with the U.S. Army's Research, Development, and 
Engineering Center's Armed Forces Recipe Team in Natick, Massachusetts 
to conduct new research on the yield of approximately 400 new foods for 
inclusion in the Food Buying Guide and to review the yield information 
of 200 foods currently found in the publication. Yield information 
which will be gathered will be for basic ingredients only, not 
commercially processed products such as chicken and beef patties or 
combination items such as lasagna, chili, or macaroni and cheese, etc.

Methodology

    The yield information will be gathered by using various types of 
cooking and processing equipment. The equipment and cooking procedures 
commonly used in school food service preparation were determined in a 
study conducted by the National Food Service Management Institute in 
March 1996: Issues Related to Equipment and the Dietary Guidelines for 
Americans. Use of this study will ensure that the resultant yields will 
be consistent with school food service preparation methods. Careful 
documentation records will be kept by the contractor concerning the 
equipment used and the preparation/processing methods employed in using 
this equipment.
    This laboratory-based yield research of institutional packed food 
will be conducted by the contractor using specified quantities of 
product. For example, one case of at least two brand name products will 
be used for the canned fruits and vegetables tested. The remaining 
items tested, including fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, meat, 
poultry, meat alternates, and grain/breads will have between 50 and 100 
portions used for the yield study.
    Final data will include net weight and volume, drained solids 
weight and volume, drained liquids weight and volume, and weight/volume 
ratios for canned fruits and vegetables. Data for meat/poultry will be 
percent yields based on the state of the materials (frozen, thawed, 
trimmed, cooked, sliced), with skin, gristle, and bone removed. Factors 
for fresh fruits and vegetables will address the end-stage of the food 
(peeled, pared, husked, hulled, cored), as well as weight/volume ratios 
for diced, cubed, sliced, and chopped; the size of the cut will be 
specified.
    Interested parties may obtain the complete, detailed methodology 
for any of the food categories (meat/meat alternates, vegetables and 
fruits, grains/breads, milk/dairy products and other foods) upon 
written request to FCS at the address in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.

Review of Yield Research Data

    The Food and Consumer Service welcomes input from industry and 
other interested members of the public in the revision of the Food 
Buying Guide. Modifications to the Food Buying Guide could determine 
how a company markets their product, develops new products, or it could 
even cause processing procedures or formulations to change. Because the 
resultant yield

[[Page 38058]]

data will have implications for industry in future marketing and new 
product development FCS believes it is imperative that interested 
persons from appropriate industries review the findings as yield 
research progresses. Rather than waiting until all the yield research 
is complete and the revised Food Buying Guide developed, FCS will be 
posting the new yield information on the Healthy School Meals Resource 
System's web site at http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov:8001 as it becomes 
available. Therefore, interested parties should periodically review the 
web site to check for new information. A hard copy of these findings 
may be obtained by writing to the address contained in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice.
    FCS encourages all interested parties, especially affected industry 
representatives, to submit written comments indicating concerns about 
the preliminary yield data. Any comments disagreeing with the yield 
findings should include supporting data. Written comments should be 
sent to FCS at the address in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. FCS 
will consider all timely comments prior to publishing the final yield 
data findings.

Yield Research on Specific Items

    Interested parties may also submit requests for yield research on 
specific food items by sending such requests, in writing, to the 
address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

Food Buying Guide Revision

    Note that the yield information to be published on the web site 
will be preliminary and will not be incorporated into the Child 
Nutrition Database nor may it be relied upon for CN Labeling or meal 
planning purposes until finally announced at the time the Food Buying 
Guide revisions are made. The Food and Consumer Service does not expect 
to finalize the final yield data until late 1998. The final Food Buying 
Guide is expected to be printed and distributed by the Spring of 1999. 
It will be distributed in printed copy to all school food authorities 
and other institutions participating in the child nutrition programs. 
Printed copies will be made available for sale. It will also be made 
available on the Internet.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1751-1760, 1779.

    Dated: July 9, 1997.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.
[FR Doc. 97-18662 Filed 7-15-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-U