(X) Policy Memo

April 20, 2009

All CACFP Sponsors

The Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs (ODE CNP) received questions from Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsors concerning the Child Nutrition (CN) Label. The CN Label is a voluntary Federal labeling program for food manufacturers regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The CN label shows a product’s contributions to the CACFP meal pattern requirements.

USDA recently advised state agencies that CN Labels are only valid when the label is attached to the purchased product. Sales and marketing teams have been known to provide printer’s proofs of CN labels as they market the product to their customers. Also sponsors often make photocopies of the CN labels on the package. Printer’s proofs and CN label photocopies are not valid for meal pattern documentation purposes.

Policy Change:
Effective July 1, 2009, Sponsors must keep the actual CN label from the original package for the product to be valid for CACFP crediting purposes. Sponsors must keep the CN label by keeping the original package, or by removing the label from the actual purchased product. If the sponsor purchases meals from a vendor, the sponsor must obtain an original CN label as described above.

Each CN label has an approval date, which is located after the USDA/FNS authorization. This approval date is valid for 5 years. All USDA CN label approvals dated before September 1, 2007, expires on September 1, 2012; all CN label approvals dated after September 1, 2007, expire five years from the original approval date. For more information on CN labels, refer to the USDA website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/cnlabeling/default.htm 

If you have questions, please contact your assigned Child Nutrition Specialist.

Sincerely,

Lynne Reinoso
Manager, Community Nutrition
Child Nutrition Programs
Office of the Superintendent