[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 124-126]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

This mission area of USDA ensures access to nutritious, healthful diets 
for all Americans. It coordinates USDA's consumer education and outreach 
activities, encourages consumer involvement in USDA policymaking, and 
ensures that USDA adequately addresses consumer concerns and interests.
    It also emphasizes increasing the use of Electronic Benefits 
Transfer (EBT), to

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eliminate paper coupons and instead provide the recipient with a plastic 
card and personal identification number that functions like money. With 
EBT, no money and no Food Stamps change hands at the grocery checkout 
counter, and all accounting is done electronically.
    Under the USDA reorganization legislation, a center for nutrition 
policy and education was created, underscoring the Department's 
commitment to nutrition and nutrition education.

Food and Consumer Service

[For the Food and Consumer Service statement of organization, see the 
Federal Register of June 6, 1970, 35 FR 8835]

The Food and Consumer Service is the agency of the Department that 
administers the programs to make food assistance available to people who 
need it. These programs are operated in cooperation with State and local 
governments.
    The Service, formerly the Food and Nutrition Service, was 
established on August 8, 1969, by the Secretary of Agriculture, under 
authority of 5 U.S.C. 301 and Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 
U.S.C. app.).
Food Stamps  The Food Stamp Program provides food coupons through State 
and local welfare agencies to needy persons to increase their food 
purchasing power. The coupons are used by program participants to buy 
food in any retail store that has been approved by the Food and Consumer 
Service to accept and redeem the food coupons.
Special Nutrition Programs  The Service administers several programs 
designed to improve the nutrition of children, particularly those from 
low-income families. Principal among these is the National School Lunch 
Program, which provides financial assistance to public and nonprofit 
private schools of high school grade and under, in operating nonprofit 
school lunch programs.
    The School Breakfast Program provides cash assistance to State 
educational agencies to help schools in operating nonprofit breakfast 
programs meeting established nutritional standards. It is especially 
important in improving the diets of needy children who may receive 
breakfast free or at reduced prices.
    The Summer Food Service Program for Children helps various 
organizations get nutritious meals to needy preschool and school-aged 
children during the summer months or during vacations in areas operating 
under a continuous school calendar.
    The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a companion activity that 
helps to get nutritious meals to preschool and school-aged children in 
child care facilities and to functionally impaired adults in facilities 
that provide nonresidential care for such individuals.
    The Special Milk Program for Children, which is administered in 
schools, institutions, and split-session kindergartens that do not 
participate in any other Federal food program, is designed to help child 
nutrition by paying a share of the cost of increased servings of fluid 
milk made to children.
Food Distribution  The Food Distribution Program makes foods available 
to eligible recipients. Foods purchased by the Department are made 
available principally to children in school lunch and breakfast 
programs, summer camps, and child care centers, and to the nutrition 
program for the elderly. Commodities are also distributed to needy 
families through food banks, charitable institutions, and local 
government agencies.
    The program on Indian reservations provides Indians on or near 
reservations with access to a wide range of donated foods, including 
meat, fruit, vegetables, and dairy and grain products.
Supplemental Food Programs  The Special Supplemental Food Program for 
Women, Infants and Children--the WIC Program--provides specified 
nutritious food supplements, nutrition education, and health care 
referrals to pregnant women, breastfeeding women up to 12 months post 
partum, non-breastfeeding women up to 6 months post partum, and children 
up to 5 years of age. Participants are determined by competent 
professionals (physicians, nutritionists, nurses, and other health

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officials) to be at nutritional risk because of nutritionally related 
medical conditions or inadequate nutrition.
    Cash grants are made available to participating State health 
departments or comparable State agencies, or recognized Indian tribes, 
bands, or groups. The State agencies distribute funds to the local 
agencies, and the funds are used to provide foods for WIC recipients and 
to pay specified administrative and clinical costs.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program  This program provides supplemental 
foods and nutrition education to low-income infants and children; 
pregnant, post partum, and breastfeeding women; and elderly persons who 
are vulnerable to malnutrition and reside in approved project areas. The 
Department purchases foods for distribution through State agencies.
Nutrition Education and Training  Under this program funds are granted 
to the States for the development and dissemination of nutrition 
information and materials to children and for in-service training of 
food service and teaching personnel.
    No person may be discriminated against--in the operation of any of 
the programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service--because of 
race, color, sex, creed, national origin, or handicap.

For further information, contact the Public Information Officer, Food 
and Consumer Service, Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA 22302. 
Phone, 703-305-2276.