This study will provide a rare assessment of the Child Nutrition Commodity Food Program, examining the nutrition quality of the foods made available by the program, the manner in which it operates, how school districts make use of the program and how the program assists or impedes school districts in complying with USDA school meal standards and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The proposed study includes secondary data analysis, a focus group, key informant interviews and a concluding stakeholder meeting for the presentation of the study’s findings and the development of policy recommendations.
Start Date: June 2006
ID #: 57925
Principal Investigator: Kenneth Hecht, LLB
Organization: California Food Policy Advocates
Funding Round: Round 1
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
States: California, National
Keywords: Commodity foods, Food service, Nutrition standards, School meal programs
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Focus Areas: Nutrition Policy & Programs, School & After School
Related Research
September 2008
The Federal Child Nutrition Commodity Program: A Report on Nutritional Quality
This report found that school districts fail to take advantage of healthier foods offered by the federal child nutrition commodity program, despite improvements in the nutritional quality of foods offered to schools by USDA. The study found that, in California, meat and cheese products accounted for more than 82% of the dollars spent on commodity MoreJanuary 2025
A Systematic Review: The Impact of COVID-19 Policy Flexibilities on SNAP and WIC Programmatic Outcomes
The objective of this study was to explore the impact of policy flexibilities deployed during the COVID-19 public health emergency on access, enrollment/retention, benefit utilization, and perceptions of SNAP and WIC. The review identified 37 eligible articles. Twelve studies evaluated policy flexibilities in SNAP only, 21 in WIC only, and 4 in both programs. Across MoreDecember 2024