School Meal Programs
Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools; Actions Taken to Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality
Gao ID: GAO-04-673 April 23, 2004
The nation faces a complex challenge in addressing recent trends in children's health and eating habits. To address these trends, in 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity among all Americans, especially children. In this statement, schools were identified as one of the key settings for public health strategies to address these issues. The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs provide millions of children with nutritious meals each school day. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers these programs at the federal level, and FNS subsidizes the meals served through these programs in local schools as long as the meals meet certain nutritional guidelines. In the last decade, these nutritional guidelines were amended to require schools to serve meals that adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which limit total and saturated fat and provide specific minimum levels of vitamins and nutrients. Despite these efforts to improve the nutritional quality of meals offered through the school meal programs, other foods not provided through these programs are often available to children at school through a la carte lines in the cafeteria where individual foods and beverages can be purchased, snack shops, school stores, vending machines, and other venues. The nutritional value of these foods, often referred to as competitive foods, is largely unregulated by the federal government. Because of its concern about the trends in children's health and eating habits and interest in further understanding issues related to competitive foods in schools, Congress asked us to answer the following questions: (1) Which foods and school food practices fall under the term competitive foods, and what federal restrictions exist on their sale? (2) What is currently known about the types of competitive foods and their availability and prevalence in schools? (3) What is currently known about additional steps that are being taken on the state and local levels to curtail the sale of competitive foods?
On April 12, 2004, we briefed interested Senate staff on the results of our analysis. This report formally conveys the information provided during that briefing. In summary, we reported that competitive foods include all foods and beverages sold in schools except for meals provided through the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Current federal regulations restrict only a subset of competitive foods, foods of minimal nutritional value, from being sold during mealtimes in food service areas. Competitive foods are sold in a variety of locations on a majority of school campuses nationwide. The types of competitive foods available often differ by location where they are sold, with healthy foods more often sold in a la carte lines in the cafeteria and less healthy foods more often sold through vending machines, school stores, canteens, and snack bars. Several states, school districts, and individual schools have enacted competitive foods policies that are more restrictive than federal regulations. These policies differ widely in the types of restrictions they apply.
GAO-04-673, School Meal Programs: Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools; Actions Taken to Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality
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Report to Congressional Requesters:
United States General Accounting Office:
GAO:
April 2004:
School Meal Programs:
Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools; Actions Taken to
Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality:
GAO-04-673:
Contents:
Letter:
Appendix I: Briefing Slides:
Abbreviations:
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
FMNV: foods of minimal nutritional value:
FNS: Food and Nutrition Service:
SHPPS: School Health Policies and Programs Study:
SMI: School Meals Implementation:
SNDA-II: School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study-II:
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture:
United States General Accounting Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
April 23, 2004:
The Honorable Tom Harkin:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition, and General Legislation:
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry:
United States Senate:
The Honorable George Miller:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Education and the Workforce:
House of Representatives:
The Honorable Lynn Woolsey:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Education Reform:
Committee on Education and the Workforce:
House of Representatives:
The nation faces a complex challenge in addressing recent trends in
children's health and eating habits. Data from the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown that over 15 percent of
children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are overweight, a proportion that
has significantly increased since the 1960s. In addition, CDC has also
reported an increase in the frequency of type 2 diabetes in U.S.
children and adolescents over the last two decades. Trends in obesity
and a low level of physical activity among children and adolescents may
be a major contributor to this increase.
To address these trends, in 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a
call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity among all
Americans, especially children. In this statement, schools were
identified as one of the key settings for public health strategies to
address these issues. Since a large portion of a child's day is spent
in school, providing children with healthy food options throughout the
school day can be an important step toward good child nutrition. The
National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs provide millions of
children with nutritious meals each school day. The United States
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
administers these programs at the federal level, and FNS subsidizes the
meals served through these programs in local schools as long as the
meals meet certain nutritional guidelines. In the last decade, these
nutritional guidelines were amended to require schools to serve meals
that adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which limit total
and saturated fat and provide specific minimum levels of vitamins and
nutrients. Despite these efforts to improve the nutritional quality of
meals offered through the school meal programs, other foods not
provided through these programs are often available to children at
school through a la carte lines in the cafeteria where individual foods
and beverages can be purchased, snack shops, school stores, vending
machines, and other venues. The nutritional value of these foods, often
referred to as competitive foods, is largely unregulated by the federal
government.
Because of your concern about the trends in children's health and
eating habits and your interest in further understanding issues related
to competitive foods in schools, you asked us to answer the following
questions: (1) Which foods and school food practices fall under the
term competitive foods, and what federal restrictions exist on their
sale? (2) What is currently known about the types of competitive foods
and their availability and prevalence in schools? (3) What is currently
known about additional steps that are being taken on the state and
local levels to curtail the sale of competitive foods?
To answer your questions, we reviewed a variety of data sources,
including legislation, policies, and studies that address competitive
foods in schools. From these sources, we gathered information on
federal and state competitive foods laws and regulations. In addition,
we analyzed data on the availability, prevalence, and types of
competitive foods in schools provided in three national studies--the
School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study-II, the School Health
Policies and Programs Study of 2000, and the Third Year Report of the
School Meals Initiative Implementation Study. We also reviewed several
smaller-scale studies that address the association between competitive
foods in schools and child nutrition. We examined each study to assess
the adequacy of the samples and measures employed, the reasonableness
and rigor of the statistical techniques, and the validity of the
results that were drawn from the analyses. To supplement the
information collected from these sources and to gather information on
steps that have been taken at the local level to restrict competitive
foods in schools, we conducted interviews with several professional
organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders. We conducted
our review from January through March 2004 in accordance with generally
accepted government auditing standards.
On April 12, 2004, we briefed interested Senate staff on the results of
our analysis. This report formally conveys the information provided
during that briefing. In summary, we reported that:
* Competitive foods include all foods and beverages sold in schools
except for meals provided through the School Lunch and School Breakfast
Programs. Current federal regulations restrict only a subset of
competitive foods, foods of minimal nutritional value, from being sold
during mealtimes in food service areas.
* Competitive foods are sold in a variety of locations on a majority of
school campuses nationwide. The types of competitive foods available
often differ by location where they are sold, with healthy foods more
often sold in a la carte lines in the cafeteria and less healthy foods
more often sold through vending machines, school stores, canteens, and
snack bars.
* Several states, school districts, and individual schools have enacted
competitive foods policies that are more restrictive than federal
regulations. These policies differ widely in the types of restrictions
they apply.
We provided a draft of this briefing to officials at FNS for their
technical comments and incorporated their comments where appropriate.
We are sending copies of this report to relevant congressional
committees and other interested parties and will make copies available
to others upon request. In addition, this report will be available on
GAO's Web site at http://www.gao.gov. If you or your staff have any
questions about this report, please contact me at (415) 904-2272 or Kay
E. Brown at (202) 512-3674. Rachel Weber, Kevin Jackson, and Dan
Schwimer also made significant contributions to this report.
Signed by:
David D. Bellis:
Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues:
[End of section]
Appendix I: Briefing Slides:
[See PDF for slides]
[End of slideshow]
[End of section]
Related GAO Products:
School Lunch Program: Efforts Needed to Improve Nutrition and Encourage
Healthy Eating. GAO-03-506. Washington, D.C.: May 9, 2003.
School Meal Programs: Revenue and Expense Information from Selected
States. GAO-03-569. Washington, D.C.: May 9, 2003.
Public Education: Commercial Activities in Schools. GAO/HEHS-00-156.
Washington, D.C.: September 8, 2000.
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