| The bill proposes to do the following: Expands federal nutrition guidelines to cover foods and beverages available on school campuses during the entire school day.Requires the Secretary to revise the definition of "foods of minimal nutritional value." |
A new bipartisan bill was introduced last month to both houses of Congress. The bill calls on the U.S. Agriculture Department to update its nutrition standards for all foods sold on school grounds.
The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Act of 2006 would amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to update the decadesold definition of "food of minimal nutritional value" to conform to current nutrition science, thereby improving the nutritional quality of foods sold at schools.
"It makes no sense to have one set of rules for the cafeteria and another set for the hallway," wrote School Nutrition Association (SNA) President Ruth Jonen in a letter to Senator Harkin regarding the legislation.
"Failure to apply the same rules to all foods sold/served on campus throughout the school day will erode the efforts schools are making to ensure the nutritional quality and value of school meals." The School Nutrition Association has long advocated that all foods served and sold in schools should be held to an appropriate nutrition standard.
