1. National School Food and Beverage Standards: A Historical Perspective
Katie Wilson, PhD, SNS
President-elect and Chair, National Nutrition Standards Task Force

2. What’s best for children!
The Goal
What’s best for children!

3. What we’ve heard? Solicited input through:
Nutrition Standards Summit, CNIC 2009
Nutrition Committee
Industry Patron Members
Mega Issue Discussion at National Leadership Conference
Town Hall Meeting at LAC 2007

4. SNA members and industry would like…
Science-based standards
Standards that pre-empt state and local standards
Standards that apply to Child Nutrition Programs:
NSLP
SBP
After-school Snacks
Summer Food Service Program

5. They would also like…
Standards that apply to other foods sold or consumed during the school day, such as:
School Parties
Fundraisers
A la Carte
Vending
No standards for after school and evening activities, such as concessions at games, PTA/PTO meetings, etc.

6. Process SNA appointed a task force to draft national standards
Gathered comments from all SNA member segments:
Posted drafted standards on SNA website
Encouraged members to comment on standards
Held a “Nutrition Summit” at CNIC 2008

7. Outcomes Task Force reviewed: Existing state and local standards
Standards developed by other organizations, such as the Institute of Medicine and Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Task Force drafted:
Guiding Principles
Proposed standards for foods and beverages sold/served within reimbursable meal programs
Proposed standards for foods and beverages outside reimbursable meal programs within the school day

8. Nutrition Summit Process
Presentations by:
Institute of Medicine
Alliance for a Healthier Generation
SNA

9. Nutrition Summit
A group of approximately 100 SNA state and national leaders and industry participated in Nutrition Summit, specifically examined four key areas (Contentious Content Standards):
Need for sugar standards for milk/dairy products
Need for sodium standards
Definition of whole grain (51%)
Pre-emption

10. Group Process The three groups examined four key issue areas
Unanimously agree/disagree
Substantial majority (60%) agree/disagree
Split decision (less than 60% consensus)

11. Contentious Content Standard #1
Sugar levels in milk and dairy products
should be quantified.
Yellow Group
Blue Group
Red Group
Substantial Majority – should be quantified
Unanimous Consent – should be quantified
Comments:
Would like a range for sugar levels
What about establishing calorie range instead of sugar levels?

12. Contentious Content Standard #2
Sodium levels should be quantified.
Yellow Group
Blue Group
Red Group
Unanimous Consent – should be quantified
Comments:
Suggest quantification over a week for school meals
Suggest quantification for individual food items outside
reimbursable meal and snacks
-Suggest a range

13. Contentious Content Standard #3
Whole grain definition should mean a
minimum of 51% whole grain.
Yellow Group
Blue Group
Red Group
Unanimous Consent – should be 51%
Substantial Majority – should be 51%
Comments:
Would clear up current discrepancies and confusion
Will require education and training
Should mean that the whole grain ingredients add up to 51%
or that whole grain is the primary ingredient

14. Contentious Content Standard #4
Federal standards should pre-empt state
and local standards.
Yellow Group
Blue Group
Red Group
Unanimous Consent – should pre-empt, minus 1
Substantial Majority – should pre-empt
Comments:
Consistency, ease of training, hard to hit a moving target,
Less costly for industry and schools
Maximum efficiency

15. Other issues/questions
Will need changes in commodities to meet the standards
Training and education will be critical
100% juice (concern with not allowing 100% juice + water products)
Concerns with fruit only packed in water or natural juices
Concerns with meeting fruit, vegetable and legume recommendations
What is the position on non-nutritive sweeteners?
Should we be looking at fat in terms of grams instead of %?
Concerns about financial implications
Customer acceptance is key!

16. Next Steps
Task force to carefully review all comments and outcomes from Nutrition Summit and revise drafted national standards- LAC 2008.
Meet with IOM, AHG, CSPI, ADA to build support.
Present revised draft to SNA Board of Directors for review and approval.
Publicize standards and seek support from key stakeholders.
Seek support of National Nutrition standards as regulations, rather than law.

17. Revisions We studied the issue. We listened to all of you.
We worked through revisions to meet the needs that were expressed by the majority of voices.
We are now ready to take them to the SNA Executive Board in April 2008.
We will publicize after board approval.
We will take them to our PPL committee, Senator Harkin and USDA after board approval.

18. QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION