TDOE outlines recent USDA policy memos on milk, breakfast vegetables, online payment fees and product documentation

Rhonda Mead, senior compliance and data manager for the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) School Nutrition program, summarized a set of recent U.S. Department of Agriculture policy memos during the agency's January update call.

Mead said the memo known as SP 01-2025 restates fluid milk requirements and adds a cap on added sugar in flavored milk: "Beginning July 1, 2025... flavored milk must contain no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounces." The guidance keeps current options for offering fat-free and low-fat flavored and unflavored milk and retains nondairy fluid milk substitute rules.

Mead also reviewed SP 02-2025, which adds flexibility for the school breakfast program by allowing vegetables to credit as fruit. Under the guidance, districts that offer vegetables in place of fruit one day per week may serve vegetables from any subgroup; offering vegetables two or more days a week requires vegetables from at least two different vegetable subgroups over the week. Mead emphasized that schools remain required to meet meal pattern calories, sodium and fat limits and to offer at least one cup of fruit or vegetable daily.

On electronic payments, Mead described SP 04-2025, which supersedes prior guidance on online fees. She said the memo requires school food authorities (SFAs) to provide families with "a free and accessible method of making deposits to the student meal account." SFAs must notify families about payment options and associated fees and must make at least one no-fee deposit method available (for example, accepting cash or checks). Mead outlined best practices, including covering processing fees from nonfederal sources, soliciting fixed-cost vendor fees in procurements, and clearly posting free payment methods on district materials.

Mead closed with SP 05-2025 on processed product documentation. She said the memo consolidates prior guidance and clarifies acceptable documentation for meal pattern contributions: child nutrition (CN) labels and product formulation statements (PFS) remain valid documentation, CN labels are valid for five years from the original authorization date, and program operators must review PFS accuracy before relying on them.

Mead said TDOE's policy team will begin issuing state-level guidance memos for USDA policy memos that require interpretation, and the agency plans additional training and communications to districts.

The changes Mead described take effect on the dates specified in each USDA memo; districts were urged to review contract expiration dates for payment processors and to factor the online-fee requirements into future procurements.