[PHNUTR-L] Nutritionists call for national school food standards

[Kathrynne Holden]

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Nutritionists call for national school food standards

By Lorraine Heller
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=74663&m=1fnu302&c=xeiqgoegavfxtla

3/2/2007 - More than 600 school nutrition professionals will next week 
call on Congress to adopt national food and beverage standards for 
'competitive foods' sold in schools.

The move is an attempt to address the current "patchwork" of guidelines 
throughout the US on foods sold outside the school cafeteria, according 
to the School Nutrition Association (SNA).

The non-profit group yesterday announced that its members, including 
nutritionists, state child nutrition directors and foodservice industry 
representatives, will address these issues during a meeting with Members 
of Congress at the 35th Annual Legislative Action Conference in 
Washington DC on Tuesday.

"The School Nutrition Association is advocating for national school food 
and beverage standards to apply to items made available on the school 
campus outside of the balanced meals served through the National School 
Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program," said the group in a statement.

"Under current law, meals provided through the school lunch and 
breakfast programs must follow nutrition standards in accordance with 
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Currently, there are no national 
nutrition standards for 'competitive foods', or foods sold or made 
available outside of the school cafeteria, resulting in a patchwork of 
guidelines throughout the country," it added.

According to the association, consistent standards are needed to promote 
wellness and send a clear and positive message to schoolchildren nationwide.

Activities of next week's conference will also include panel discussions 
addressing SNA's 2007 legislative priorities, implications of local and 
state nutrition standards and an update on child nutrition activities 
from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Speakers at the event will include Senator Lisa Murkowski, who last year 
sponsored the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act 
of 2006, a bill introduced in Congress calling on the USDA to update its 
nutritional standards for foods sold on school campus.

The proposed legislation was designed to address the same issue that 
will next week again be approached: the loophole in the terms of the 
current Child Nutrition Act that means that the USDA sets standards for 
foods sold in school lunch rooms, but is prevented from regulating foods 
sold elsewhere on school grounds.

The bill, introduced by lead sponsor Senator Tom Harkin, aimed to revise 
the current definition of 'foods of minimal nutritional value' that are 
permitted for sale in schools. The current definition, which dates back 
to 1979 and which focuses on whether a food has at least minimal amounts 
of one of eight nutrients, has been accused of being obsolete.

The new definition is designed to conform to current nutrition science.
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar at nutritionucanlivewith.com >
"Ask the Parkinson Dietitian"  http://www.parkinson.org/
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