Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

FDP: USDA Foods Purchasing and Ordering Cycle

The Food Distribution Program (FDP) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods Purchasing and Ordering Cycle online training.

Course Description

This training provides an overview of the purchasing and ordering cycles for USDA Foods and describes the USDA procurement process, why California has specific ordering timelines, and how recipient agencies can plan their USDA Foods purchases for an upcoming school year.

  • Course Number: 867
  • Training Length: 29 minutes
  • Certificate: Not available
  • Target Audience: Food Service Director and Staff
  • Mandatory: No
  • Cost: Free
  • Date Recorded: December 2016

Online Course



Referenced Resources

The following resources are referred to throughout this online course:

Crediting

  • Crediting: 0.25 hour
  • Key Area: Nutrition (1000)
    • Training Topic: Menu Planning (1100)
      • Learning Objective: Plan for effective use of USDA Foods (1170)

For more information on crediting, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) web document Professional Standards Learning Objectives External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

Additional Information

For more information on USDA Foods, access the CDE Food Distribution web page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the Food Distribution Program by email at FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Food Distribution Program | FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov | 916-324-7132
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Related Content
Recently Posted in Nutrition

  • Fees for Electronic Payment Services in the School (added 31-Jan-2025)
    The memorandum clarifies policy related to fees associated with electronic (online) payments and ensures students determined eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits receive the benefits.
  • Webinars: Scratch Cooking & Reducing Sodium (added 30-Jan-2025)
    The CICN hosts a live webinar addressing How to Transition to Scratch Cooking in Schools - First Steps. The USDA Meal Talk Webinar to share strategies to reduce sodium and engage students in menu planning.
  • SY 2025–26 USDA Foods Available List and Pricing (added 29-Jan-2025)
    This report provides an estimated price per pound, per case, and per truck for all USDA Foods items available in school year (SY) 2025-26.
  • Waiver for Non-congregate Meals During Ramadan (added 14-Jan-2025)
    The Waiver for Non-congregate Meals During Ramadan allows approved school food authorities to offer non-congregate meals to students fasting during Ramadan.
  • Buy American Provision (added 10-Jan-2025)
    The Buy American provision is a procurement standard that SFAs must comply with when purchasing food products served in School Nutrition Programs (SNP). SFAs are required to purchase domestic commodities or products to the maximum extent practicable.