Location: Food for Health of People and the Environment Lab
Project Number: 8040-52530-001-003-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2020
End Date: Sep 30, 2024
Objective:
USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Food for Health of People and the Environment Laboratory (FHPEL) and Human Study Facility (HSF) seeks to procure services through an Interagency Agreement with the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Child Nutrition Programs (CNP), Nutrition, Education, Training and Technical Assistance Division (NETTA) to conduct a second phase of food yield studies. FNS previously collaborated with ARS through an Interagency Agreement to conduct Phase I of the food yield studies. This project will secure a second phase of yield studies for high consumption foods in the Child Nutrition Programs. ARS utilized the findings of the first yield study conducted with CNP to help to fulfill the mission to assess food and nutrient intakes on yield outcome through nutrient analysis. The current project will examine additional high consumption and changing foods for food yield and allow for selected samples for analyses of food components.
The objective of the Phase II extension of the Food Yield Studies project is to once more procure services to test and provide yield data for a variety of food items (See Attachment 1). The current list of foods for the yield study was determined through surveying FNS stakeholders. However, FNS may need to include additional food items for yield testing or switch out food items due to procurement issues or agency priority requests. If yield data are needed for additional food items, funding and the proposed work plan will be adjusted accordingly.
The yield data obtained through this study will be used to update, verify and add new yields to the current FBG. All procedures and methods used must be conducted in a manner typical to a school foodservice setting. The yield data will also be used by ARS to assess food and nutrient intake and health outcomes as well as research preparation methods for the composition of whole food choices through nutrient analysis.
Approach:
USDA FoodData Central (FDC) contains analytical and label data for thousands of foods and hundreds of food components; behind many of these data are yield determinations to assess amount of edible portions and potential loss of nutrients during preparation. Funding will support collection, processing, and analysis of weight differences between raw and prepared products for usual consumption. Product sampling through USDA vendors and scientists will provide new data to be used in the Food Buying Guide for food service personnel serving thousands of children in the US public school system. Yield information will be included in the Food Buying Guide and selected samples will be available for laboratory analysis of key food components. Data on food components and yield may be included in FDC.
