[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45159-45161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21067]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program 
(FFVP)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new 
collection for the Food and Nutrition Service Evaluation of the Fresh 
Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) to examine how the Fresh Fruit and 
Vegetable Program is currently being implemented and to estimate 
program impacts on participating students.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 2, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the

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agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; 
(b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Director, Office of 
Research and Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. 
Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Steven 
Carlson at 703-305-2576 or via e-mail to [email protected]. 
Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 
Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steven 
Carlson at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Food and Nutrition Service Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and 
Vegetable Program.
    OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is intended 
to fight childhood obesity and improve overall diet quality by teaching 
children more healthful eating habits. The FFVP began as a pilot 
project in four states pursuant to provisions of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171). Schools selected to 
participate in the FFVP are reimbursed for providing free fresh fruits 
and vegetables to students during the school day, outside of normal 
school breakfast and lunch meals. Under section 4304 of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246), the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) was amended to authorize the 
expansion of the FFVP to selected schools nationwide, including Guam, 
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This was accomplished by 
incorporating the FFVP into its own section in the NSLA, section 19, 42 
U.S.C. 1770. As part of this authorizing legislation, the Secretary of 
Agriculture was tasked in section 19(h) with conducting an evaluation 
of the FFVP. The legislation states:
    ``(1) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the 
program, including a determination as to whether children experienced, 
as a result of participating in the program--
    (A) Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables;
    (B) other dietary changes, such as decreased consumption of less 
nutritious foods; and
    (C) such other outcomes as are considered appropriate by the 
Secretary.''
    The evaluation of the FFVP has two main objectives: (1) To examine 
how the FFVP is currently being implemented, and (2) to estimate 
program impacts on participating students. To address these objectives, 
FNS has specified 36 research questions that are grouped into six broad 
research categories for the evaluation:
    1. Description of participating schools.
    2. Description of participating children.
    3. Description of FFVP implementation.
    4. Examine impacts of FFVP on school environment.
    5. Examine program impacts on children including consumption of 
fresh fruits and vegetables, consumption of other foods, nutritional 
status and attitudes towards fresh fruits and vegetables.
    6. Examine contextual effects of nutrition education and delivery 
systems on FFVP.
    To evaluate program impacts on participating students, data will be 
collected from 6,144 students in grades 4-6 in 256 public elementary 
schools in 16 states as well as parents, teachers, school food service 
managers and principals. Half (128) of the sampled schools will 
participate in the FFVP and the other half (128) will be non-FFVP 
participating schools. To examine the implementation of the FFVP, data 
will be collected from an additional 448 schools that participate in 
the FFVP to provide a random sample of all schools participating in the 
program. Implementation data will also be collected from the 128 
participating schools in the impact study, thus totaling 576 schools 
for the implementation study.
    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal, Individuals and 
Households--Respondent groups identified include: (1) State Child 
Nutrition (CN) Directors; (2) Directors of School Food Authorities 
(SFAs); (3) School Principals; (4) School food service managers; (5) 
Teachers; (6) Students (grades 4, 5 and 6); and (7) Parents of sampled 
students.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 18,854. This includes: 7,680 students (80% will complete 
interview; subsample will complete a second 24-hour dietary recall); 
7,680 parents (80% will complete brief questionnaire); 768 teachers (90 
percent will complete brief questionnaire); 256 school food service 
managers (95 percent will complete brief interview); 816 school 
principals (86 percent will complete Web survey); 816 SFA directors (86 
percent will complete Web survey), and 54 State CN Directors (90 
percent will complete Web survey), 16 of whom will provide some 
additional administrative data for the impact study states.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Two major types of 
data collection activities will be used: Web surveys with three 
respondent groups and in-school data collection with five different 
respondent groups. State CN Directors or designees will be asked to 
participate in two Web surveys, and those agencies in the 16 impact 
study states will provide additional detail on FFVP applications and 
reimbursements. SFA Directors and Principals will each participate in 
one Web survey. School food service managers will be interviewed in 
person two times on sample days for information about foods served in 
FFVP, and school meals (School Breakfast Program and National School 
Lunch Program) on those days. Teachers and parents of sampled students 
will each complete one short questionnaire. Sampled students will all 
participate in an individual 24-hour dietary recall which may be 
assisted by a one-day food diary. A subsample of the students will 
complete a second 24-hour dietary recall on a nonconsecutive day, which 
may be assisted by a one-day food diary.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 19,180.
    Estimated Time per Response: About 30 minutes (0.48 hours). The 
estimated time of response varies from 3 to 65

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minutes depending on respondent group, as shown in the table below.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 508,668 minutes 
(8,477.8 hours). See the table below for estimated total annual burden 
for each type of respondent. The burden estimates assume the use of a 
one-day food diary completed by sampled students and a second one-day 
food diary completed by a 10% subsample of students which may be deemed 
necessary for collecting usual intake of foods and/or nutrients. If the 
food diaries are not included, the burden estimates would be lower.

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                                                                                                                             Estimated
                                                                             Estimated       Responses                        average
                Respondent                                                   number of     annually per    Total annual      number of       Estimated
                                                                            respondents     respondent       responses       hours per      total hours
                                                                                                                             response
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Students--record-assisted dietary recalls.  Completed...................           6,144            1.00         6,144.0          1.0833          6655.8
                                            Attempted...................           1,536            1.00          1536.0          0.0500            76.8
Students--second dietary recall (10%        Completed...................             614            1.00           614.0          0.5833           358.1
 subsample).
                                            Attempted...................             154            1.00           154.0          0.0500             7.7
Parents...................................  Completed...................           6,144            1.00         6,144.0          0.0833           511.8
                                            Attempted...................           1,536            1.00         1,536.0          0.0500            76.8
Teachers..................................  Completed...................             691            1.00           691.0          0.0833            57.6
                                            Attempted...................              77            1.00            77.0          0.0500             3.9
School Food Service Managers..............  Completed...................             243            2.00           486.0          0.1667            81.0
                                            Attempted...................              13            2.00            26.0          0.0500             1.3
School Principals.........................  Completed...................             704            1.00           704.0          0.3333           234.6
                                            Attempted...................             112            1.00           112.0          0.0500             5.6
State CN Directors........................  Completed...................              49            2.00            98.0          0.3333            32.7
                                            Attempted...................               5            2.00            10.0          0.0500             0.5
State CN Directors (Administrative Data)..  Completed...................              16            2.00            32.0          0.5000            16.0
                                            Attempted...................               0            2.00             0.0          0.0500             0.0
School Food Authority (SFA) Directors.....  Completed...................             704            1.00           704.0          0.5000           352.0
                                            Attempted...................             112            1.00           112.0          0.0500             5.6
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    Totals................................  ............................          18,854  ..............        19,180.0  ..............         8,477.8
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    Dated: August 25, 2009.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. E9-21067 Filed 8-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P