Emergency Food Assistance Program; Availability of Foods for Fiscal Year 2017, 16021 [2017-06356]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Food and Nutrition Service

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 61 (Friday, March 31, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 16021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06356]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Emergency Food Assistance Program; Availability of Foods for 
Fiscal Year 2017

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the surplus and purchased foods that the 
Department expects to make available for donation to States for use in 
providing nutrition assistance to the needy under The Emergency Food 
Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. The foods made 
available under this notice must, at the discretion of the State, be 
distributed to eligible recipient agencies (ERAs) for use in preparing 
meals and/or for distribution to households for home consumption.

DATES: Effective October 1, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Polly Fairfield, Policy Branch, Food 
Distribution Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302-1594 or 
telephone (703) 305-2662.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the provisions set forth 
in the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (EFAA), 7 U.S.C. 7501, et 
seq., and the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. 2036, the 
Department makes foods available to States for use in providing 
nutrition assistance to those in need through TEFAP. In accordance with 
section 214 of the EFAA, 7 U.S.C. 7515, 60 percent of each State's 
share of TEFAP foods is based on the number of people with incomes 
below the poverty level within the State and 40 percent on the number 
of unemployed persons within the State. State officials are responsible 
for establishing the network through which the foods will be used by 
ERAs in providing nutrition assistance to those in need and for 
allocating foods among those ERAs. States have full discretion in 
determining the amount of foods that will be made available to ERAs for 
use in preparing meals and/or for distribution to households for home 
consumption.
    The types of foods the Department expects to make available to 
States for distribution through TEFAP in FY 2017 are described below.

Surplus Foods

    Surplus foods donated for distribution under TEFAP are Commodity 
Credit Corporation (CCC) foods purchased under the authority of section 
416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, 7 U.S.C. 1431 (section 416) and 
foods purchased under the surplus removal authority of section 32 of 
the Act of August 24, 1935, 7 U.S.C. 612c (section 32). The types of 
foods typically purchased under section 416 include dairy, grains, 
oils, and peanut products. The types of foods purchased under section 
32 include meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, dry beans, juices, and 
fruits.
    Approximately $115.7 million in surplus foods acquired in FY 2016 
are being delivered to States in FY 2017. These foods include 
blueberries, cherries, cranberry juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice, 
orange juice, raisins, cheese, eggs, chicken, and salmon. Other surplus 
foods may be made available to TEFAP throughout the year. The 
Department would like to point out that food acquisitions are based on 
changing agricultural market conditions; therefore, the availability of 
foods is subject to change.

Purchased Foods

    In accordance with section 27 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008, 7 U.S.C. 2036, the Secretary is directed to purchase an estimated 
$299 million worth of foods in FY 2017 for distribution through TEFAP. 
These foods are made available to States in addition to those surplus 
foods which otherwise might be provided to States for distribution 
under TEFAP.
    For FY 2017, subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Department anticipates purchasing the following foods for distribution 
through TEFAP: Fresh and dehydrated potatoes, fresh apples, fresh 
pears, unsweetened applesauce cups, frozen apple slices, frozen 
carrots, frozen peas, dried plums, dried fruit and nut mix, raisins, 
frozen ground beef, frozen chicken breast, frozen whole chicken, frozen 
ham, frozen catfish, dry lima beans, dry blackeye beans, dry garbanzo 
beans, dry great northern beans, dry light red kidney beans, dry pinto 
beans, dry lentils, egg mix, shell eggs, peanut butter and kosher 
peanut butter, roasted peanuts, low-fat cheese, one percent ultra high 
temperature fluid milk, vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, farina, low-
fat bakery flour mix, unsalted crackers, egg noodles, white and yellow 
corn grits, whole grain oats, macaroni, spaghetti, whole grain rotini, 
whole grain spaghetti, whole grain macaroni, macaroni and cheese, white 
and brown rice, frozen whole wheat tortillas, corn flakes, wheat bran 
flakes, oat cereal, rice cereal, corn cereal, corn and rice cereal, and 
shredded whole wheat cereal; the following canned items: Low sodium 
black beans, low sodium blackeye beans, low sodium green beans, low 
sodium pinto beans, low sodium light red kidney beans, low sodium 
refried beans, low sodium vegetarian beans, low sodium carrots, low 
sodium cream corn, no salt added whole kernel corn, low sodium peas, 
low sodium sliced potatoes, no salt added pumpkin, reduced sodium cream 
of chicken soup, reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup, low sodium 
tomato soup, low sodium vegetable soup, low sodium spaghetti sauce, low 
sodium spinach, no salt added diced tomatoes, low sodium tomato sauce, 
kosher and halal tomato sauce, low sodium mixed vegetables, unsweetened 
applesauce, apricots with extra light syrup, mixed fruit with extra 
light syrup, cling peaches with extra light syrup, pears with extra 
light syrup, beef, beef stew, chicken, pork, salmon and kosher salmon, 
and kosher tuna; and the following bottled juices: Unsweetened apple 
juice, unsweetened cherry apple juice, unsweetened cran-apple juice, 
unsweetened grape juice, unsweetened grapefruit juice, unsweetened 
orange juice, and unsweetened tomato juice.
    The amounts of each item purchased will depend on the prices the 
Department must pay, as well as the quantity of each item requested by 
the States. Changes in agricultural market conditions may result in the 
availability of additional types of foods or the non-availability of 
one or more types listed above.

    Dated: March 6, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2017-06356 Filed 3-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P