9/8/26 C.A.R.E. - Food Distribution Programs Newsletter

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 09/08/2026 01:42 PM PDT

Food Distribution Program C.A.R.E.: Week of September 8, 2026

Update: USDA Direct Delivery (Commodities)
Update: Receiving September Delivery
Update: Reporting Delivery Discrepancies
Update: DoD Fresh Produce
USDA Product of the Month
Important Dates to Remember

Update: USDA Direct Delivery (Commodities)

October orders open September 2 and close September 9 at 3 pm.

Note: The closing time for regular orders is now 3 pm.

Surplus orders open Thursday, September 10 at 1 pm for groups 1 and 2, 1:30 pm for group 3, and 2 pm for group 4.

Surplus closes Friday, September 11 at 4 pm.

Sponsors should notify the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) of changes to the delivery contact person or delivery address change by completing the Delivery Updates Form.

USDA Food Complaints

Resources

Upcoming Trainings

Processing CNEEB & Direct Certification

Date: September 15

Time: 2–3:30 pm

Register

Basics of Operating School Meal Programs for Food Service

Date: October 28 and November 4

Time: 1–4 pm

Register

Update: Receiving September Delivery

New Carrier for Monthly USDA Foods Delivery - East

Effective immediately, all monthly delivery appointments for USDA Foods will be scheduled and managed by IEDS Logistics. J&S Transport, Inc. with Common Carrier Hernandez Transportation will no longer be handling these shipments.

Sponsors will receive communication from IEDS Logistics to confirm upcoming delivery dates, times, and any site-specific requirements.

Reminders

Confirmations of USDA Foods Monthly Delivery

Sponsors scheduled to receive a USDA Foods Delivery should receive an appointment confirmation from the carrier.
Reply to the carrier confirming receipt of the appointment.

Prior to Delivery

Provide the pick list to the staff receiving the delivery. The pick list is found in CNPweb.
Ensure that trained staff and the receiving area are ready the day of scheduled delivery.

Deliveries

Standard USDA food deliveries are wrapped and stacked on pallets no higher than approximately five feet and left at the loading dock for receipt.
Carriers will drop pallets at the dock or just inside the threshold of the facility if the entrance can accommodate. Any request for removal of product from the pallet or asking the driver to enter the facility will require additional cost and must be approved by OSPI in advance.
Use the Delivery Checklist for additional details and steps while receiving deliveries.
Sponsors are given an allowed time to inspect your delivery while the driver is present.

Delivery Timeframes
Pallet #	Time allotted
1-2 pallets	20 minutes
3-6 pallets	30 minutes
7-12 pallets	45 minutes
13 or more pallets	60 minutes

Delivery Information Updates

Sponsors that have a new delivery contact person or a change of delivery address, should fill out the Delivery Updates Form to notify OSPI.
Delivery address changes may only be updated once a year.

Questions? Email the Food Distribution inbox or call 360-725-6204.

Update: Reporting Delivery Discrepancies

Delivery discrepancies can consist of missing cases, additional cases of product not ordered, or damaged product. To report a delivery discrepancy or damages, use the Delivery Discrepancy Instructions, and follow the steps below.

To report an order discrepancy:

Log into CNPweb.
Select the current school year and click on the “Orders” tab.
Click “Edit” in the action column to open the order and report the over, short, or damaged cases.
On the “Sponsor Order Discrepancy” screen, use the “Received Quantity” column to report discrepancies. Note, this column is only able to be modified when the order is in “Shipping” status.
The default number for “Received Quantity” is the total quantity ordered. If the quantity received is correct, no action is needed. If more or less than ordered was received, report the actual number here.
Reported order discrepancies are due two days before the last working day of the month. If you find issues after this date, please contact the FDP team.

This process is only for reporting discrepancies and should not be used to edit a pending delivery.

Questions? Email the Food Distribution inbox or call 360-725-6204.

Update: DoD Fresh Produce

Reminder, the FFAVORS login URL has changed. The new link and additional details are available in CNPweb on the message board.

Receipt of Delivery:

Orders must be received within two days of delivery. After three days, the receipt of delivery is past due, and orders cannot be placed for that site.

Access to FFAVORS:

Requesting a new user? Submit the FFAVORS User Request Form. Do not contact the Defense Logistical Agency (DLA) or USDA directly for access to FFAVORS.

Whom to Contact When:

Review the guide below for whom to reach out to for assistance. The contacts are listed in CNPweb on the message board.

Program Activity	Responsible Entity
USDA DoD Fresh Program enrollment	Washington state representative
USDA DoD Fresh Program new site	Washington state representative
USDA DoD Fresh Program allocation adjustment	Washington state representative
FFAVORS user access	Washington state representative
USDA DoD Fresh Program complaints	Washington state representative Washington state representative
FFAVORS login issues, login.gov	sm.fn.ffavors@usda.gov
USDA DoD Fresh request new produce items to catalog	Washington DLA representative Washington state representative Note: Email request to all three contacts at DLA, OSPI, and vendor.

Questions? Email Sarah Davis or call 360-725-6215.

USDA Product of the Month

For September, OSPI is spotlighting USDA Foods item 100158 ‐ Beef, Fine Ground, 85/15, Raw, Frozen.

Product Description

This item is raw 85/15 fine ground beef. This product is shipped in 40-pound cases containing four 10-pound vacuum-sealed packages.

Crediting/Yield

One case of ground beef provides approximately 478 1.34-ounce portions.
CN Crediting: One 1.34-ounce portion of 85/15 raw ground beef credits as 1 ounce equivalent meat/meat alternate.

Culinary Tips and Recipes

Ground beef can be cooked and used in a variety of dishes, such as spaghetti sauce, tacos, chili, casseroles, and pasta dishes.
For culinary techniques and recipe ideas, visit the Institute of Child Nutrition or USDA’s Team Nutrition.

USDA Product Information Sheets provide basic product information, and the USDA Foods Database provides vendor-specific nutrition, allergen, and ingredient information.

Important Dates to Remember

September 2–9	October USDA Foods Regular Order Period
September 10–11	October USDA Foods Surplus Order Period

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

ADA NOTIFICATION FOR OSPI CHILD NUTRITION SERVICES EVENTS
To arrange accommodations for persons with disabilities for OSPI Child Nutrition Services events, please contact the Child Nutrition Services Team at 360-725-6200, TTY 360-664-3631, or by email, child.nutrition@k12.wa.us at least three business days before the event. Please note that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require OSPI to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider.

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.

OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200, 360-725-6162 (TTY: 360-664-3631), equity@k12.wa.us.