FNS Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service was founded on August 8, 1969.  Since that time, the agency has worked to reduce food insecurity and promote nutritious diets among the American people. Its mission has grown since its inception, and today the Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage America’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat.  

View the FNS 50 Year Celebration LIVE, Aug 8, 2019, 10-11 AM ET or the recording at:  https://youtu.be/_4xlDmdxO80

Follow us @USDANutrition

Our most liked tweet in July

@USDA Proposes to Close SNAP Automatic Eligibility Loophole. Read more: 
https://bit.ly/2YeADBx

Call the National Hunger Hotline or Text "97779"  for food help

Important Dates in FNS History

1939 - First Food Stamp Program launched
1964 - President Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act
1969 - Food and Nutrition Service established
1972 - Women, Infants and Children Program piloted
1974 - WIC Program made permanent
1975 - School Breakfast Program made permanent

1977 - Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations began
1980 - First Edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans released
1984 - First Food Stamp Program Electronic Benefits Transfer transaction made
1992 - Farmers Market Nutrition Program established as part of WIC
1994 - CNPP established as a sister agency of FNS

1995 - Healthy Eating Index developed to measure quality of American diets
2001 - Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program established under WIC
2002 - Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program piloted
2004 - Food Stamp Program Electronic Benefits Transfer system authorized nationwide

2005 - Food Guide Pyramid replaced with MyPyramid
2008 - Food Stamp Program renamed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
2011 - MyPyramid replaced with MyPlate
2018 - First EBT benefits accepted online

Start Simple with MyPlate Webinar

In a continuing effort to help Americans make healthy food choices, FNS will host a Start Simple with MyPlate webinar on Wednesday August 14, 2019 2:00 PM ET.  The webinar will provide tips to help reach communities with healthy eating messages, as well as ready to use examples to incorporate into communications. To join the webinar please see information below:

https://usda-fns.webex.com/meet/barbara.jirka
Call: 415-527-5035 (US Toll) Access code: 906 398 422#

USDA Proposes to Close SNAP Automatic Eligibility Loophole

On July 23, USDA proposed closing a loophole that allows states to make participants receiving minimal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits automatically eligible to participate in SNAP. 

Read the press release here.  To learn more about this proposed rule, view the fact sheet.

USDA Approves New Phase of Temporary Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance to Support Disaster Recovery

Puerto Rico residents continuing to recover from 2017’s hurricanes could be eligible for increased nutrition assistance funded by Congress and provided through a grant from USDA. This temporary assistance will be distributed through Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) beginning as early as August. Read the press release here. 

Para una versión en español de esta nota de prensa, visite: https://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/usda-010419-es

2019 Farm to School Grants Awards Announced

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the award of more than $9 million in USDA Farm to School Program grants that will increase the amount of healthy, local foods served in schools and create economic opportunities for nearby farmers.   This year marks an all-time high of funding and projects in the program, with grants supporting 126 selected projects across 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Read the press release here. 

SNAP Fraud Framework Grant Awards 

USDA awarded nearly $5.1 million in SNAP Fraud Framework grants to fund innovative state projects designed to reduce recipient fraud and enhance integrity in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The grants focus on implementing different aspects of the SNAP Fraud Framework, a collection of recently formulated procedures, innovative ideas and best-practices designed to improve efforts by state agencies to more effectively detect, investigate and prevent fraud in SNAP.  Read the press release here.

USDA Releases SNAP Payment Error Rate for 2018

The analysis shows an increase in the benefit payment error rate in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) between Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018. SNAP’s national payment error rate – a measure of both overpayments and underpayments made by all states to program participants – was 6.8% in fiscal year 2018, up from 6.3% in last year’s reporting. Read the press release here. 

Data Visualizations:  SNAP Household Characteristics and Participation Rates

Check out SNAP’s new interactive graphics, which describe the economic and demographic characteristics of households participating in SNAP by State and over time, as well as SNAP participation rates by State and by household characteristic.