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

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.

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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

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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