Beginning October 1, 2025, and through December 15, 2025, School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors participating in the Food Distribution Program (FDP) may submit a request to change the way they order and receive U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods for School Year (SY) 2026–27.
Sponsors interested in changing their FDP participation method must email a letter of intent to FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov that includes the following:
- Full agency name
- Complete address
- Phone number
- Vendor number
- Method for receiving USDA Foods in SY 2026–27
No action is required for sponsors electing to continue their current method for receiving USDA Foods.
Additional Information
For an overview of the three different avenues for receiving USDA Foods in California, please review recorded training course 669 titled, CDE FDP: Avenues of Participation, located in the FDP tab of the California Department of Education (CDE) Child Nutrition Programs Course Catalog web page.
For more information, reference Management Bulletin (MB) NSD-FDP-02-2013, Changing Receipt of USDA Foods. The MB contains a table on the Avenues for Receiving USDA Foods, which compares services among the CDE state distribution centers, state cooperatives (co-ops), and private co-ops.
All SNP sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program are eligible to receive USDA Foods, which can assist in efforts to incorporate more freshly prepared, minimally processed foods in your meal programs. USDA Foods help offset overall food costs. If your school is not currently benefiting from USDA Foods, please contact the staff listed below for more information.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this subject or if you want to learn more about the financial benefits of the FDP and/or USDA Foods, please contact the Food Distribution Program by email at FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov.