Commodity Complaints

The Food and Nutrition Service’s Food Distribution Division (FDD) delivers food to recipients through several nutrition assistance programs.  FDD monitors commodity complaints and coordinates the resolution of health hazards with the FNS Food Safety Unit for States, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), and recipient agencies participating in any of the Food Distribution Programs (FDP).
 
 

PROGRAM PARTICIPANT

USDA Foods Complaint Procedures:

If you are an individual who received USDA foods from one of USDA's nutrition assistance programs and would like to file a complaint about food or service issues, please look up your State Distributing Agency (SDA) by program or Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) for a contact person and name on the State Contacts List or ITO Contacts List.

For more information about understanding date codes on cans, please go to our link on “Best If Used By” information. (http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/facts/biubguidance.htm).

If you still are having difficulty finding someone to talk to, call the USDA Foods Complaint Hotline.  Our toll-free number is 1-800-446-6991.  Our core business hours are 8 AM to 5 PM. (Eastern Time).
 

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM

(Any organization participating in NSLP, CACFP, or SFSP that receives USDA Foods)

USDA Foods Complaint Procedures:

Local agencies that operate Child Nutrition Programs should report USDA Foods Complaints to your State Distributing Agency (SDA) as soon as a defect is found with a USDA Food.  The SDA will decide whether the complaint can be resolved at the state level, and if not, the SDA will enter the complaint into the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) Application.

To assist your SDA in processing the complaint more quickly, provide the following information:

• Material Number/Commodity Code (for the Commodity Code/Material Number Crosswalk go to:  www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/WBSCM)

• Can and Case Codes

• Description of the problem and whether anyone reported feeling sick or being injured from consuming the product

• Date your organization received the affected USDA Foods

• Quantity of product involved (affected)

• Quantity and physical address of product remaining and if the remaining product is affected or not

• Sales Order Number (formerly Delivery Order Number)and Purchase Order Number (formerly Notice to Deliver Number).  These numbers may be on the paperwork received with the USDA Foods shipment.  If not, the SDA should be able to obtain them.

• The specific circumstances involved (for example - I received the damaged canned products 2 months ago, but the cases were located in the middle of a pallet that could not be seen until the school opened the cases.  Or, the temperature in the delivery truck was 40 degrees when the discolored frozen products were delivered.)

• In some instances, digital photographs of damaged product or foreign objects are helpful.

• If you are requesting a replacement, you should retain the unopened product, until further notice from the USDA Foods Complaint Specialist at Food and Nutrition Service, so that the vendor can exercise his right to examine or retrieve the product. 

For more information about understanding date codes on cans, please go to our link on “Best If Used By” information. (http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/facts/biubguidance.htm )

NOTE ABOUT USDA PRODUCT WARRANTIES:  All vendors for USDA Foods have prescribed warranty periods for the foods USDA purchases from them.  the USDA Foods product warranties range from 6 months to 1 year, depending on the product.  It is critical that you practice good inventory practice (FIFO) to discover any issues as soon as possible and report them right away to your State Distributing Agency, in order for USDA to assist you with compensation, if necessary.

NOTE ABOUT BONUS USDA FOODS:  Although we want to know about any issues with USDA Foods, Bonus USDA Foods are not eligible for replacement or value compensation to the SDA or Recipient Agency.

NOTE ABOUT “SINGLE INVENTORY” AND COMMERCIAL LABELS: 

Manufacturers that produce foods for USDA, that are distributed to schools and other child nutrition outlets, have the option of using their own commercial label or they can use “America’s Finest” USDA labels on canned products. This means that a school district may receive USDA Foods with a label that is the same as those which the district has purchased commercially.  For example, USDA green beans may come with a Del Monte label.

If a Child Nutrition Program is using “Single Inventory” (which would be a directive given by your SDA) and co-mingles USDA Foods with commercially purchased foods, it will be difficult to discern if the affected product was purchased by USDA or the local child nutrition program.  (For more information about “Single Inventory” see  http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/PolicyMemo/pmfd020_CNP-SingleInventory.pdf )

Child Nutrition Programs have the option of contacting the manufacturer directly to request a resolution to the complaint.  This may be the easiest option for Child Nutrition Programs, particularly if they have purchased other foods from the manufacturer and already have a relationship established with the company. 

FOOD BANK/PANTRY/CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION

Food Banks should report USDA Foods Complaints to your State Distributing Agency (SDA). The SDA will decide whether your complaint can be resolved at the state level, and if not, the SDA will enter your complaint into the National USDA Foods Complaint System.

To assist your SDA in processing your complaint more quickly, provide the following information:

• Material Number/Commodity Code (for the Commodity Code/Material Number Crosswalk go to:  www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/WBSCM)

• Can and Case Codes

• Description of the problem.

• Date your agency received the affected USDA Foods

• Quantity of product affected

• Quantity and physical address of affected product remaining

• Sales Order Number (formerly Delivery Order Number)and Purchase Order Number (formerly Notice to Deliver Number).  These numbers may be on the paperwork you received with the USDA Foods shipment.  If not, your SDA should be able to obtain them.

• In some instances, digital photographs of damaged product or foreign material may be helpful.

• If you are requesting a replacement, you should retain the unopened product until further notice from the USDA Foods Complaint Team, so that the vendor can exercise his right to examine or retrieve the product.

For more information about understanding date codes on cans, please go to our link on “Best If Used By” information.

USDA FOODS WAREHOUSE - State owned or commercial contract

USDA Foods Complaint Procedures:

USDA Foods Warehouses, either State owned or commercial contractors, should report USDA Foods Complaints to your State Distributing Agency (SDA). The SDA will decide whether your complaint can be resolved at the state level, and if not, the SDA will enter your complaint into the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) System.

• Overt or Concealed Damage:  Contact the SDA that ordered the product for your warehouse to inform them of the damage.  The SDA will advise you on how to resolve the issue.  Please refer to Instruction 709-5:  Shipment and Receipt of Foods(http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/hdbks-instruct/709-5_ShipmentsReceipts.pdf) to gain knowledge about receipting policies and procedures to know what constitutes a verified complaint.  These instructions are currently under review for revision.

To assist your SDA in processing your complaint on damaged product quickly, provide the following information:

• Material Number/Commodity Code (for the Commodity Code/Material Number Crosswalk go to:  www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/WBSCM)

• Description of the problem

• Date your agency received the USDA Food

• Quantity of product involved (affected)

• Quantity and physical address of product remaining and if the remaining product is affected or not.

• Sales Order Number (formerly Delivery Order Number)and Purchase Order Number (formerly Notice to Deliver Number).  These numbers may be on the paperwork you received with the USDA Foods shipment.  If not, your SDA should be able to obtain them.

• In all instances, digital photographs of damaged product or foreign material may be helpful.

• If you are requesting a replacement, you should retain the unopened product, until further notice from FNS USDA Foods Complaint Team, so that the vendor can exercise his right to examine or retrieve the product.

USDA FOODS PROCESSOR

NOTE:  All USDA Foods have variable supplier warranties that apply.  It is critical to notify the SDA immediately when bulk product problems are apparent. 

NPA (National Processing Agreement) USDA Foods Processors who receive damaged shipments should follow these procedures:

• Contact the SDA that ordered the product bulk USDA Food to inform them of the damage and contact the Processing Initiatives Team at NPA@fns.usda.gov.  The Processing Team will direct the processor to the appropriate USDA Foods Complaint Team Member to facilitate resolution.

In-State USDA Foods Processors who receive damaged shipments should follow these procedures:

• Contact the SDA immediately to inform them of any damage to bulk USDA Foods received.  The SDA will submit a USDA Foods Complaint to FNS HQ.

STATE DISTRIBUTING AGENCY (SDA) and INDIAN TRIBAL ORGANIZATION (ITO)

The SDA will act on complaints from eligible program recipients participating in the following USDA Foods Distribution Programs and file complaints in the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) System:

• Child Nutrition Programs Includes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

• Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP)

• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

• Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservation (ITOs & SDA for Nevada

USDA Foods Complaint Procedures: 

To file a complaint, the SDA/ITO must enter the information in the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) application. To log into WBSCM, go to https://portal.wbscm.usda.gov, log in and follow instructions for complaint submission.  If you have forgotten your password for eAuth, go to the eAuthentication website at http://www.eauth.egov.usda.gov and select the link for a forgotten password. 

NOTE to Multi-Food Users:  If you usually manage complaints for your organization and are not registered in WBSCM, contact the WBSCM Organization Administrator (Org Admin) for your organization and request that you be added as a user to complete this function in WBSCM.  The Org Admin is usually the person that orders USDA Foods for your organization.

To contact the FNS/FDD USDA Foods Complaint Team for help call our toll-free number 1-800-446-6991.  Our core business hours are 8 AM to 5 PM (Eastern Time).

Submit the following information in WBSCM:

• Purchase Order, Sales Order, or Requisition Number (for Multi-Food Deliveries).

• Material Number/Commodity Code (for the Commodity Code/Material Number Crosswalk go to:  www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/WBSCM)

• Date the recipient agency received the USDA Foods

• Quantity of product involved (affected)

• Quantity and physical address of product remaining and if the remaining product is affected or not.

• Description of the problem and whether anyone reported feeling sick or being injured from consuming the product.  (If that is the case, select that there is a food safety problem.)

• The specific circumstances involved (for example - I received the damaged canned products 2 months ago, but the case they were packed in was located in the middle of a pallet that could not be seen until it was opened by the school.)

• In all instances, digital photographs of damaged product or foreign material are helpful and there is a place in WBSCM to upload them.

• If you are requesting a replacement, you should retain the unopened product, until further notice from USDA Foods Complaint Team, so that the vendor can exercise his right to examine or retrieve the product.

• NOTE:  Please refer to Instruction 709-5:  Shipment and Receipt of Foods(http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/hdbks-instruct/709-5_ShipmentsReceipts.pdf) to gain knowledge about receipting policies and procedures as it relates to damaged and shorted shipments.  These instructions are currently under review for revision.

Last Modified: 02/17/2012