A federal program that provides food commodities at no cost to low-income individuals in need of short-term hunger relief. TEFAP serves the agricultural community by distributing surplus commodities purchased by the USDA from farmers and other producers. TEFAP was created in 1981 with the name “Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program”. Commodity items range from fresh produce items to canned goods including vegetables, fruits, cooking oil, juice and meats.