Agriculture and Food

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Open Recommendations

National School Lunch Program: USDA Could Enhance Assistance to States and Schools in Providing Seafood to Students
GAO-23-105179
Nov 17, 2022
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should develop a plan to enhance its assistance to states and school food authorities in providing seafood to students through the National School Lunch Program. Actions described in such a plan could build upon information that GAO collected regarding factors that selected states and school food authorities said have affected their efforts to provide more seafood to students through the program. The plan could also incorporate USDA's experience and lessons learned from previous efforts aimed at enhancing the variety and availability of other food products, such as dairy products and unprocessed fruits and vegetables. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should work with the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a collaborative mechanism, such as a memorandum of understanding that establishes the sharing of NOAA's list of domestic seafood vendors with USDA. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should work with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a collaborative mechanism, such as a memorandum of understanding that establishes the sharing of NOAA's list of domestic seafood vendors with USDA. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Food Safety: FDA Oversight of Substances Used in Manufacturing, Packaging, and Transporting Food Could Be Strengthened
GAO-23-104434
Nov 08, 2022
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Food and Drug Administration The Commissioner of FDA should request specific legal authority to compel companies to provide specific information that they have about food contact substances already on the market. FDA could do so when it submits its report to the House Appropriations Committee on options to systematically reassess the safety of food additives and obtain information on their use. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Food and Drug Administration The Commissioner of FDA should direct the agency to track the dates of the last pre- and postmarket reviews for all food contact substances in a way that allows FDA to readily identify substances that may warrant postmarket review. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program: USDA Should Conduct More Rigorous Reviews of Payments to Producers
GAO-22-104397
Sep 08, 2022
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Farm Service Agency The Administrator of FSA should conduct additional spot checks of CFAP payments and use a more risk-based approach to selecting producers for review. This approach could include focusing on producers of commodities not generally covered by other FSA programs and producers that received large payments. (Recommendation 1)
Open
As of September 21, 2022, FSA has not taken action to implement our recommendation.
Farm Service Agency The Administrator of FSA should issue guidance directing the agency to identify factors, such as large claims for commodities with which FSA is unfamiliar, that county offices should consider when selecting producers for CFAP spot checks. (Recommendation 2)
Open
As of September 21, 2022, FSA has not taken action to implement our recommendation.
Farm Service Agency The Administrator of FSA should direct agency officials conducting CFAP payment spot checks to (1) use support generated by third parties; or (2) if such support is not available, document why support self-generated by the producer was accepted. (Recommendation 3)
Open
As of September 21, 2022, FSA has not taken action to implement our recommendation.
Farm Service Agency The Administrator of FSA should direct state offices to monitor the quality of the county offices' spot checks for CFAP. Such monitoring could include a review of selected spot checks to ensure their accuracy. (Recommendation 4)
Open
As of September 21, 2022, FSA has not taken action to implement our recommendation.

Food Program: DOD Should Formalize Its Process for Revising Food Ingredients and Better Track Dining Facility Use and Costs
GAO-22-103949
Mar 24, 2022
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11 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Defense Logistics Agency or other DOD entity, such as the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, coordinates with key stakeholders within DOD and at other federal agencies as well as consults with industry as it develops DOD's formal process for revising food ingredients. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Defense Logistics Agency or other DOD entity, such as the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, finalizes its formal process for revising food ingredients that includes estimated timeframes for steps in the process and identifies specific key stakeholders from other federal agencies and industry. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of the Army should ensure that food program officials track the extent to which servicemembers with a meal entitlement use their entitlement. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that food program officials track the extent to which servicemembers with a meal entitlement use their entitlement. (Recommendation 4)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of the Navy, through the Commandant of the Marine Corps, should ensure that food program officials track the extent to which servicemembers with a meal entitlement use their entitlement. (Recommendation 5)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of the Army should establish a requirement for food program officials to conduct assessments of the effectiveness and efficiency of their installation-wide food programs, including satellite operations, in providing healthy meals to servicemembers with a meal entitlement. (Recommendation 6)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation.
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