---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 5180"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "5180"
heading: "Food commodities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/5180"
units:
  - "Chapter 68 — Disaster Relief"
  - "Subchapter IV — Major Disaster Assistance Programs"
---

# §5180. Food commodities

- (a) **Emergency mass feeding—** The President is authorized and directed to assure that adequate stocks of food will be ready and conveniently available for [emergency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=1) mass feeding or distribution in any area of the [United States](/usc/42/5122.md?p=3) which suffers a [major disaster](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2) or [emergency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=1).
- (b) **Funds for purchase of food commodities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Agriculture shall utilize funds appropriated under [section 612c of title 7](/usc/7/612c.md), to purchase food commodities necessary to provide adequate supplies for use in any area of the [United States](/usc/42/5122.md?p=3) in the event of a [major disaster](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2) or [emergency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=1) in such area.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–288, title IV, § 413, formerly § 410, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 157; renumbered § 413, Pub. L. 100–707, title I, § 106(h), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4705.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 413 of Pub. L. 93–288 was renumbered section 416 by Pub. L. 100–707 and is classified to section 5183 of this title.