Overview
The Buy American provision was added to the National School Lunch Act (NSLA) by Section 104(d) of the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-336). Section 12(n) to the NSLA (42 USC 1760(n)), requiring school food authorities (SFAs) to purchase, to the maximum extent practicable, domestic commodity or product. It is each SFA's responsibility to ensure USDA dollars are spent on American grown products.
The Buy American provision (7 CFR Part 210.21(d)) is one of the procurement standards SFAs must comply with when purchasing commercial food products served in the school meals programs. SFAs must track non-domestic product(s) purchased which do not comply with the Buy American Provision.
Tracking Tools
Noncompliant Product List - Multiple (Word)
Noncompliant Product List - Multiple (Excel)
Resources and Policy Memos
Buy American and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, SP 32-2019, USDA, 08/15/2019
Compliance with and Enforcement of the Buy American Provision in the NSLP, SP 38-2017, USDA, 06/30/2017
Buy American Reminder, SP 29-2006, USDA, 08/09/2006
Buy American Fact Sheet, USDA, 05/30/2019
