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Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its nutrition standards for all foods sold in school outside of the federal school lunch and breakfast programs, including cafeteria “a la carte” items, vending machines, and other snack foods, and beverages. These new standards are an important step to remedy nutritional shortfalls in our nation’s children’s diets and to help address the obesity crisis.
These new nutrition standards, consistent with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, will promote the health of all school children throughout America. “Low-income children will especially benefit from these strong standards,” said FRAC President, Jim Weill. “When peer pressure and stigma drive low-income students to purchase less healthy appealing competitive foods, instead of eating healthy school meals, they lose out nutritionally in a much bigger way than their more affluent peers, and their families lose financially,” said Weill.
The new regulations also implement the new requirement that schools make free drinking water available to children during meal times. “We were pleased to see improvements to the original proposed rules for water, including the extension of the requirement to offer free potable water to breakfast,” said Weill.
Moving forward with nutrition standards for all food sold in school and the provision of free drinking water for all students is an important step in the much-needed comprehensive overhaul of the school nutrition environment.
FRAC will work with its nationwide network to assure the timely and full implementation of these new standards.
For additional information, contact Geri Henchy, (202) 986-2200 x3025 or Madeleine Levin, (202) 986-2200 x3004.