Sesame: The 9th Major Food Allergen

The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act, a federal law passed in 2021, named sesame as the ninth major food allergen, requiring it to be declared on food labels effective January 1, 2023.  Sesame joins the eight other major food allergens including milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. However, you may not see sesame listed as an allergen on food packages or a declaration included in the USDA Foods Database right away.

The law establishing sesame labeling does not require food products that were in distribution or inventory before January 1, 2023 to be removed from the marketplace or relabeled to declare sesame as an allergen. Depending on shelf-life, some food products may not have allergen labeling for sesame on the effective date. USDA Foods vendors are working to update their allergen information in the USDA Foods Database; however, currently there are some USDA Foods products without this declaration

During this transition period, it is important to proceed with caution, check the label every time a product is received, and contact vendors directly with questions about whether a product contains sesame. For more information on sesame allergen labeling and what to expect, please visit the FDA website.

Navigating the USDA Foods Database

On March 2, 2023, FNS hosted a webinar that provided state agencies and school districts with instructions on how to navigate the USDA Foods Database to access vendor-specific product information, including nutrients, allergens, ingredients and certifications. FNS shared important resources to help utilize the USDA Foods Database, including release notes, step-by-step written instructions, FAQs, and other useful information. The webinar included a live Q&A for attendees to get their most pressing USDA Foods Database questions answered. This webinar was intended for state agencies and school districts, and a recording can be found here. 

American Commodity Distribution Association Annual Conference

This year, the American Commodity Distribution Association annual conference was held in Anaheim, California, from April 16-19. Members of the USDA Foods team attended the conference and presented on over ten different topics to conference attendees, as well as participating in panel discussions and Q&A sessions as both moderators and presenters. This conference was a great opportunity for USDA, States, Schools, Food Banks and Industry to come together under one roof to learn, share and network with a common goal of providing healthy foods to program participants.

Sessions presented by USDA Foods staff included:

• Understanding USDA Foods from Entitlement to Title Transfer
• Using FFAVORS to Manage USDA DoD Fresh
• The USDA Foods Database
• Promoting Local Foods in the USDA Supply Chain

SNA Annual National Conference Preview

USDA is looking forward to seeing many State, school district, and industry partners at the School Nutrition Association (SNA) Annual National Conference (ANC) held July 8-11, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. View the event schedule here. USDA will be leading a variety of sessions during the conference. Here are a few highlights:

What’s New with USDA Foods? – In this session, find out how the USDA Foods program is continuously adapting and improving to provide food that meets the needs of school districts, while supporting domestic agricultural markets. Learn about advancements in the program over the past year, including the USDA Foods Database which provides vendor-specific nutrition, allergen, and ingredient information for all direct delivered USDA Foods, and hot topics such as management of USDA Foods inventories.

Understanding USDA Foods Entitlement – This session will help stakeholders develop a better understanding of the policies and regulations for managing USDA Foods entitlement. We will include an overview of topics such as entitlement calculation, planned assistance level and state and school food authority roles and responsibilities including management of inventories and practices such as "sweeps."

USDA Foods 101 – This pre-conference session provides an overview of the USDA Foods program from the federal perspective. USDA staff will discuss USDA Foods regulatory requirements and will also cover pertinent policies to assist with the day-to-day management of the USDA Foods program. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

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