What is the latest information on “Buy American”?
We have recently received information concerning the amendments to the National School Lunch Act provided in last year’s reauthorization of the Act that strengthened the Buy American requirement. The 1998 re-authorization of the National School Lunch Act included language that requires recipient agencies (you) participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in the contiguous United States to buy food produced in the United States when buying with Federal funds. While the 1987 legislation allowed certain limited exceptions to the “domestic origin” requirement, the new legislation is specific in requiring schools, to the maximum extent practicable, to purchase product of domestic origin. As defined in the legislation, a domestic food commodity is an agricultural commodity (for example, red meat, chicken, fruit, vegetable, or grain) that is produced in the United States. A domestic food product is processed in the United States substantially using domes
