# Presentation: 431266

## 2007 NAFDPIR 20th Annual ConferenceSan Antonio, Texas

- USDA Nutrition Update
- Sheldon E. Gordon, MS, RD, LD
- Nutritionist, USDA/SNP/FDD

## Topics

- Commercial Labels
- Commodity Improvements & Changes
- Fact Sheets
- Food Package Review Update
- FDPIR Listserv

## Commercial Labels

- _USDA Group A Commodities_
- 90% of juices are in USDA labels
- 70% of canned fruits and vegetables are in USDA labels (small vendors without a brand label)
- _USDA Group B Commodities_
- All vendors are using their commercial label

**Notes:**
90% of our canned juices—a staple in FDPIR—are USDA labels because most juice vendors have moved from producing them in cans and now use bottles in different pack sizes.  

About 70% of our canned fruits and vegetables are in USDA labels.    

While, as of April 1, 2007 all Group B products are now commercially labeled.

We are working closely with AMS to encourage more vendors who provide Group A commodities to produce their own label and help bridge the gap.

## Commercial Labels

- Why some vendors use USDA labels:
- Small Businesses - No label of their own
- Product not on the commercial market
- USDA has different specifications than some commercial lines of food
- The USDA label can be cheaper

**Notes:**
But just why are some vendors using USDA Labels?

In spite of our encouragement, there are several reasons why manufacturers still use USDA labels: 
Some small companies (such as 8a companies) only pack for distributors or food chains so they don’t have their own label (this is very common with F&V canners). 
Our canned beef and turkey are not sold commercially so there is no commercial label.
A few of our specifications are different than the commercial product (e.g. – Our canned luncheon meat requires lower salt and fat than others in the marketplace).
The USDA label is simple and are cheaper to print.

## Commercial Labels

- Canned Fruits & Vegetables
- New Feel
- Commercial-Like Appearance
- Eliminate negative stigma

**Notes:**
We want the new label to generate:
a better feel about the products
Present a more commercial like appearance
And to reduce or eliminate any negative stigma associated with our old labels.
The goal is not to fool anyone in believing the product is different but we all eat with our eyes.  If something does not look appealing on the container, who wants to eat it?

## Commercial Labels

- So What’s New?
- New Images (Photos)
- Actual pictures of fruits and veggies
- Bold New Colors
- Old 2 colors vs. new 4 colors
- High gloss paper

**Notes:**
We have searched for new images that portray the actual fruit or vegetable packed in the container.  Gone are the boring draft illustrations.
Many of you remember or still receive commodities in those pastel colors (green, pink, etc.) or the black and white labels.  Now we are going to have more vibrant colors, similar to the ones found in the commercial marketplace. 
Those drab labels take away from all that we do to ensure good quality products.  Appearance is everything, and foods on the outside should look like foods on the inside.

## Commercial Labels on the Market

**Notes:**
So here are labels of various products on the market.
As you can see, commercial brands vary in color.  
Some have more colors than others.
Some use actual pictures (Hanover & Ocean Spray) while some use illustrations (Del Monte & Dole)
Now lets look at our current labels.

## Old Label 

**Notes:**
This label just does not cut it.  At the time it was developed, it was probably great change from a black and white label but with changes in technology we have to keep up too.  
Our products are high quality foods but the label does not match the product.
Now let me show you the proposed label.

## New Label 

- New Label

**Notes:**
Although, this is still being developed, this is the basic foundation of the label.

## Commodity Improvements and Changes:What’s on our Plate?

**Notes:**
Now lets move onto some commodity improvements happening in USDA.

## Commodity Improvements

- Whole Grains
- Lower Fat
- Lower Sodium
- Reduce Added Sugar

**Notes:**
Here are just a few things that USDA is trying to improve upon in all our programs.

These improvements are the result of the recommendations found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.

## Whole GrainsWhat’s The Fuss All About?

- Lower total blood cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels
- Reduce risk of heart disease and heart attack.
- Lower blood pressure and reduce risk of stroke.
- Reduce risk of certain cancers, especially colon and rectal cancers.

**Notes:**
Since the release of the DGA’s we have been working on our efforts to increase whole grain offerings in our programs.  We are getting really close to offering a couple of products such as quick cook brown rice, and whole grain pastas (spaghetti and rotini) in addition to our other whole grain products we already offer. 
We are going to offer these in our schools first and then we will be moving towards offering some of these products in our households programs.
The benefits of whole grains include, they may help to:

## Commodity Improvements

- Lower Fat
- Butter
- Shortening

**Notes:**
Through our efforts to continually review our commodities, we have been looking at ways to reduce fat or eliminate foods that are not nutritionally sound from our program.  Just recently we have removed shortening from our foods available list.   And as you heard in the previous general session, butter will soon to be removed from all USDA distribution programs to support the agency’s effort. 
It is an Agency goal that has high visibility, not just a FDD decision, to abide by the Dietary Guidelines.  Senior level Agency officials must conform to national nutrition policy, such as the Dietary Guidelines, set by the Department.
Shortening and butter contradict the Dietary Guidelines by providing minimal nutritional value which is, it offers only calories without any value from vitamins and minerals.  
It contains only saturated fat and trans fat when the 2005 DGA encourages consuming fats coming from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acid sources such as healthy oils.
Shortening replacements like trans free versions can be just as unhealthy as the original.  Although the trans fats is removed, many times the saturated or total fat increases.
Oil, as a substitute for shortening, is still available to all programs for use in cooking and food preparation.  FNS is also working to find more alternatives for oil products.

## Commodity Improvements

- Lower Sodium
- Remove Added Sugars

**Notes:**
Lower sodium foods.  We have begun to reduce the sodium levels in our canned vegetables.  AMS, our procuring agency has announced this at their Spring Industry meeting to inform our vendors the direction USDA is now taking on our canned veggies.  This process will be done gradually starting with just a few vegetables at a time.
Corn syrup - We have already begun to reduce the stigma of our USDA commodities by offering canned fruits in lightly sweetened syrup vs. heavy syrup.  By offering corn syrup, it increases caloric intake but offers few or no nutrients to individuals.  Selecting foods that are nutrient-dense provides individuals a way to meet their nutrient needs while avoiding the over consumption of calories and of food components such as added sugars. 

## Fruit Cocktail ’Mixed Fruit

**Notes:**
You should have heard by now that the Department has been struggling to meet the demands of offering the fruit cocktail (A403) to all domestic commodity nutrition assistance programs on a continuous basis.
Therefore we have decided to replace it with the mixed fruit (A404).  The mixed fruit, commodity code A404, will be available in the same 15-ounce can as the fruit cocktail and offers the same nutritional value.  
These products are very similar to one another only in that the fruit cocktail contains cherries while the mixed fruit does not.
The reason USDA has not been able to procure this product is due to vendors not being able to complete a certification of domestic origin on the cherries contained in the fruit cocktail.  
FNS has informed the NAFDPIR Board and FDPIR Food Package Review Work Group of this problem.   

## Canned Pineapples

**Notes:**
Recently AMS informed us that Maui Pineapple who has been our sole provider for canned pineapple products is closing this part of their business to focus on fresh produce sales.
However, they stated they will  be continuing with their canned pineapple juice products.  While this is bad for us, just keep this thought also in prospective – the closure of this plant has resulted in 120 jobs that have been lost.  So this is truly a lost for many people. 

## Commodity Fact Sheets

- Revised Format
- User friendly
- And More

**Notes:**
As you know, our commodity fact sheets have been around for years.  They are a great tool to find out nutrient information as well as how to store and prepare foods. Some of the fact sheets had not been updated in the last 10 years.  Well guess what, things change as I indicated earlier and so the fact sheet information needs to reflect those changes. 
Just recently, we have updated our fact sheets for schools.  Since the foundation has been laid we are going to use that as our starting point for revising the household fact sheets.  
While it won’t be an overnight process, we hope to begin the project this summer. 

## Food Package Update

- 1-Person Household Accommodations
- Farina
- Rolled Oats
- Cheese
- Crackers
- Macaroni and Cheese

**Notes:**
We meet just this Wednesday; however, I will bring you up to speed as to where things are with the work group.
We have been looking into several commodities (farina, rolled oats, crackers, etc.)  to see if we could accommodate 1 person households so that they could get these items every month rather every other month.  The situation we are running into is storage, cost, guide rates, and availability issues from our vendors.  
Many of these smaller pack sizes cost considerably more.  Also the pack size is not an easy conversion so to determine that for the month every one is getting the same fair share has been a road block in the process.  
However, macaroni and cheese is now going to be offered in a smaller commercially packaged 7.25 oz box. We are working to determine what will be the new guide rate.

## Food Package Update

- Low Sodium vegetables
- Ultra High
- 	Temperature (UHT) Milk

**Notes:**
The group has been discussing the possibility of offering low sodium vegetables starting with corn and green beans.  However, we recently heard from AMS that vendors are not prepared to make this happen immediately.  Low sodium vegetables are packed per demand therefore vendors have not been setting side extra amounts during their packing season.  Fruits and vegetables are packed up to a year in advance.
It was suggested that we look at other vegetables to start with like our canned tomato products (tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce), and canned dry beans.   

UHT Milk- In the past, we have received requests to offer UHT milk in the FDPIR food package.  We are working closely with the Farm Service Agency to see how we can make this happen.  We have been hearing that the evaporated milk and non-fat dry milk are not highly favored among participants.  So we are investigating our options to replace one or both of those milk products with the UHT milk.  
While UHT milk is higher in cost, the money saved from evaporated milk, NDM, and shortening should make the cost neutral to the food package. 

## FDPIR Listserv

**Get Connected**

**Notes:**
Released in March ’07, the listserv is one small step toward revitalizing nutrition education for FDPIR.   It currently has about 80 members.  

## FDPIR Listserv

- _What is the purpose of the Listserv?_
- _Who may join the Listserv?_

**Notes:**
The purpose of the Listserv To provide a networking and communication tool for tribal communities and State Agencies who operate the food and nutrition education components of FDPIR, and nutrition education providers, nutrition and health organizations, and researchers who focus on food, nutrition, food safety and/or health issues for Native Americans. 
    It also is to offer a place to share experiences, ideas, resources and materials, innovative strategies, research, and information about food, nutrition, and health topics applicable to Native Americans, particularly those participating in the FDPIR.
Anyone wishing to join must meet the following criteria:

Work in some capacity for FDPIR.
Coordinate, develop, or provide food, food safety, health, or nutrition education to Native Americans, particularly those participating in FDPIR.
Represent an organization that addresses Native American health and nutrition issues; or, 
Conduct research focusing on food, nutrition, food safety, and/or health issues for Native Americans.

## FDPIR Listserv

**To Get Connected**

- Visit FDPIR Nutrition Talk online
- _[http://](http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/fdpir-nutrition-talk)__[fnic.nal.usda.gov/fdpir](http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/fdpir-nutrition-talk)__[-nutrition-talk](http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/fdpir-nutrition-talk)_

**Notes:**
To make it useful, we encourage every ITO program director to join with at least one other person, who is responsible for the ordering, distribution, and education tasks of the program to sign up!

## Questions?

*Questions?*

## Contact Information

**Sheldon Gordon, MS, RD, LD**
- Nutritionist
- _[sheldon.gordon@fns.usda.gov](mailto:sheldon.gordon@fns.usda.gov)__ _
- 703-305-1126
**Nancy Gaston, MA, RD**
- Program Analyst/Nutritionist
- _[nancy.gaston@fns.usda.gov](mailto:nancy.gaston@fns.usda.gov)__ _
- 703-305-1062