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School food act knocks soda and snacks
By: Nancy Barnes   05/12/2006

When students return to the halls of the New Milford public school
system this fall, healthier foods and beverages will be in place,
thanks to "An Act Concerning Healthy Food and Beverages
in Schools" passed by the General Assembly on April 27.

The new legislation, which takes effect July 1, applies to
"any source" within school property, including, but not limited to,
school stores, vending machines, school cafeterias,
and any fund-raising activities on school premises,
whether or not they are sponsored by the school,
during regular school hours.

Milk, for instance, may be flavored but contain
no artificial sweeteners
and no more than four grams of sugar per ounce.
[ 48 grams per 12 oz ]
Water may be flavored
but contain no added sugars, sweeteners,
artificial sweeteners or caffeine.
One hundred percent fruit juice, vegetable juice
or a combination of these juices shall contain
no added sugars, sweeteners
or artificial sweeteners, according to the legislation.

"The Department of Education was supportive of it,"
said Susan Fiore,
nutrition education coordinator
in the State Department of Education,
referring to the legislation.
"We've been trying to work to help schools
promote healthy eating
as well as physical activity for kids."

"It's bigger than an obesity issue," she said
with reference to the catalyst
for the legislation, while terming obesity
among school children a big epidemic.
"The bottom line is healthy kids, no matter what their size."

"Obesity was the driving force behind all this,
because it keeps climbing and climbing,"
she acknowledged. "We worry about the health of all kids.
Many normal-weight kids are not healthy.
They are not eating food that
will keep them healthy in the long run,
like fruits and vegetables."

"We really looked at the concept
of promoting less processing and more
whole, natural foods," she said,
with regard to the ban on artificial sweeteners.
"Even if kids are drinking diet soda,
they're not drinking milk,
and they need to drink water."

The vote for the legislation was close,
with the final tally in the House 76 to 74,
with four state representatives absent,
and the vote in the Senate 24 to 8,
also with four assemblymen absent.

"I think it had a lot to do with party lines,"
Ms. Fiore said,
noting that the bill came from
State Sen. Donald E. Williams, Jr.
(D-Brooklyn), who is president pro tempore of the state Senate.

"There was opposition from the soda companies
and the Teamsters,"
she said, noting that the union had argued
"there'd be nothing for delivery.

"The soda companies sell juice.
They sell water," she said,
referring to the new markets
the statewide legislation
will open up as it decreases others.

The legislation also includes incentives
for school districts to apply
nutritional standards to food
that does not fall within federally assisted programs
such as the National School Lunch Program,
the School Breakfast Program,
the School Milk Program
and the After-School Snack Program,
for which the New Milford school district,
like others throughout the state,
is presently reimbursed.

"There are many other foods at schools
that are not reimbursable,"
she said, citing the sale of hot dogs or hamburgers.

"There are no standards for those foods
so now, everything besides
the meals will have standards," she said,
referring to standards the state
Department of Education had worked out
for foods within the past two years.

The second part of the legislation
gives school districts the option of
applying DOE nutritional standards
to all food items it sells.
"If the school chooses to apply those
standards to its food,
it will get additional funding," she said,
adding that the funding formula
is still being calculated.

Ms. Fiore affirmed that the legislation
leaves optional the sale of foods
that do not meet its nutritional standards
in their faculty areas.
"The school could choose to leave it
in a faculty lounge," she said.
©New Milford Times 2006

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http://www.team.uconn.edu/teachers.htm
Connecticut's Team Nutrition Program

If you have any questions about Team Nutrition
please contact:

Colleen Thompson, MS, RD (860) 486-1787
cthompso@canr.cag.uconn.edu

Ellen Shanley, MBA, RD, CD-N (860) 486-0119
eshanley@canr.cag.uconn.edu

University of Connecticut
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Department of Nutritional Sciences

http://www.team.uconn.edu/teachers.htm#vending
For more information on
Connecticut Team Nutrition
or the Healthy Vending and Snack Sales Pilot,
contact Susan S. Fiore, MS, RD,
Team Nutrition Director,
(860) 807-2075  susan.fiore@po.state.ct.us