THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Office of P-20 Education Policy |
The final rule published on January 26, 2012, requires that frozen fruit served in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) contain no added sugar beginning in School Year (SY)
2012-2013. Since 2009, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reduced the amount of added sugars in packing media for frozen fruits offered to States; however, most of the frozen strawberries, peaches and apricots offered by USDA currently contain added sugars.
The new regulation allows for a water (unsweetened) or juice-only frozen fruit pack. However, to provide State agencies and school food authorities (SFAs) with time to use existing inventories, and to recognize the time needed for industry to reformulate and to pack new frozen fruit products, schools may continue to serve frozen fruit with added sugar in the NSLP for SY 2012-2013 and SY 2013-2014. Earlier instruction from USDA stated that frozen fruit with added sugar may continue to be served in SY 2012-2013 only; this exemption has been extended for SY 2013-2014.
This exemption applies to products acquired through USDA Foods as well as those purchased commercially and is only for SY 2012-2013 and SY 2013-2014.
USDA also currently offers unsweetened frozen fruits, and encourages SFAs to order those products. Additionally, USDA is working with industry to ensure that all frozen fruits offered through USDA Foods will be unsweetened or juice pack products available for schools to order for SY 2014-2015.