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USDA Update: New Buy American Rules for School Meals & What They Mean for You

madeline268
Apr 3
2 min read

On February 20, 2025, the USDA released new guidance about food purchasing for school meal programs for the 2025-26 school year. Here’s what you need to know and how it may impact your school food service operations.

What’s the New Rule?

Starting in School Year 2025-26, school food programs must make sure that no more than 10% of their total commercial food purchases come from outside the United States. This is part of the USDA’s effort to support American farmers and increase the use of U.S.-grown foods in school meals.

A food is considered “domestic” if it’s processed in the U.S. and made with at least 51% ingredients grown in the U.S.

Why This Matters

USDA knows that some foods—like fruit juice, certain fruits and vegetables, and cereals—can be hard to find from U.S. sources. These items are still important for meeting nutrition guidelines and offering students meals they’ll actually eat.

Because of this, USDA is offering a temporary relief option, called an “accommodation,” for schools that can’t meet the 10% limit—even after trying to use allowable exceptions.

How the Temporary Relief Works

If your school food program needs to go over the 10% limit for non-domestic food, you can apply for an accommodation through your state agency. Here’s how:

You’ll fill out and submit a short form called the “SFA Accommodation Plan SY 2025-26.”
Your state agency will review the request and can approve it if your situation qualifies.
The accommodation only applies to items that fall under USDA’s existing exceptions for non-domestic food purchases.
Your state agency will also support you with training and technical assistance to help increase domestic purchases over time.

What School Administrators Should Do

Even if you don’t handle purchasing directly, it’s important to be aware of these changes so you can support your food service staff and ensure compliance. Here's how you can help:

Talk with your food service director about the new 10% rule and what it means for your school.
Plan ahead for any food items that may be difficult to source domestically.
Encourage timely submission of the SFA Accommodation Plan if your school needs it.
Work with your team to document non-domestic purchases and continue making progress toward meeting the Buy American goal.

Bottom Line: The USDA is encouraging schools to buy more U.S.-grown food—but they understand there may be challenges. This new accommodation process gives your school the flexibility to keep serving student-favorite meals while working toward full compliance.

Need help? Reach out to your state agency for support and view this Buy American Factsheet.