Fresh produce is coming to the Emergency Food Assistance Program

The Emergency Food Assistance Program — a federal nutrition program run by the USDA Food & Nutrition Service — has decided to expand TEFAP to include a presorted, prepackaged fresh produce box, the agency said.

The federal program helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. USDA provides 100% American-grown USDA Foods and administrative funds to states to operate TEFAP.

A pre-solicitation notice will go out on April 13, according to a spokesman for the USDA.

“As the economic situation and food supply chain have changed considerably since the start of the pandemic until today, we have learned a lot about what low-income Americans really value in food access,” the USDA spokesman said. “One item that we picked up recently through a variety of listening sessions around USDA food purchasing was the desire for fresh produce among low-income Americans. The presorted, prepackaged boxes will provide four varieties of fresh produce, which helps to provide peace of mind regarding food safety and also supports access to healthy food.

Another factor that appealed to us is sourcing fresh and locally to  support local and regional food systems and businesses.”

The USDA nutrition safety net — including SNAP, WIC, TEFAP, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and other reliable programs — has expanded during the pandemic, especially since the passage of the Appropriations Act in late December and with passage of the American Rescue Plan. 

“Low-income and food insecure Americans now have a variety of robust options to purchase food via federal benefits or access food through USDA vendors and partners,” he said. “This is one more option.”