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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

Office of P-20 Education Policy
Child Nutrition Program Administration
89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 473-8781 Fax: (518) 473-0018
To: 
School Food Service Directors/Managers
From: 
Child Nutrition Program Administration
Date: 
Monday, June 5, 2023
Subject: 
Reminder: NSLP Sodium Target 1A Transitional Standard Effective July 1, 2023

State agencies and school meal program operators are reminded that Sodium Target 1A, as promulgated by the Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains and Sodium - Final Rule, goes into effect on July 1, 2023, in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) only. There will be no change to sodium limits for breakfasts served through the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Please refer to this chart for specific Sodium Target 1A limits by grade level. ​

As a reminder, Sodium Target 1A is included in the Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Final Rule published in February 2022. The 2022 transitional “bridge” rule provided schools with short-term standards as they moved beyond COVID nutrition standard waivers. The proposed rule -  Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - published in February 2023 aims to provide schools with long-term, durable nutrition standards in line with the latest nutrition science. The Department plans to develop a final rule based on feedback gathered during the public comment period and publish that final rule in early 2024. ​

FNS is pleased to share several resources to aid school meal program operators in Sodium Target 1A implementation. Schools can access lower sodium standardized recipes that meet school meal pattern requirements through the Institute of Child Nutrition's Child Nutrition Recipe Box and Team Nutrition's Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Schools. The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) also offers sodium reduction resources and online courses through the ICN's Shaking it Up initiative, which features strategies and best practices for reducing sodium in school menus. ​

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Click here for Nondiscrimination Statement translations.

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