CSPI Releases School Food Report Card

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently released a school food report card that evaluated the school nutrition policies of all fifty states and the District of Columbia regarding foods and beverages sold outside of the school meal programs through vending machines, a la carte (i.e., foods sold individually in the cafeteria), school stores and fundraisers. Each state policy was graded based on five key considerations: 1) beverage nutrition standards, 2) food nutrition standards, 3) grade level(s) to which policies apply, 4) time during the school day to which policies apply, and 5) location(s) on campus to which policies apply. CSPI graded states based on standards within each of the above considerations. 

Only one state, Kentucky, received an A, while twenty-three states—including Pennsylvania—received a failing grade. 

Seemingly disheartening, this report was completed and released in advance of a federal mandate, which takes effect on July 1, 2007, that requires schools to implement wellness policies. Authors of this report acknowledge: “Many of the strongest state nutrition policies have been implemented in the last several years, or have yet to be fully implemented. Therefore, their effects on children’s health have not yet come to fruition. Thus, an association between strong school nutrition policies and reductions in child obesity are not yet evident. What is evident is that several states concerned with high levels of childhood obesity in their state have taken a step to address it by implementing stronger school food and beverage policies.” 

Furthermore, Pennsylvania allows local districts to create policies that fit local needs. The state tends not to mandate policy, but to provide guidelines; last year the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) created a wonderful resource for schools creating policies around competitive foods. It will be interesting to see how Pennsylvania will score in future years. 

To read the CSPI School Foods Report Card:
http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/school_foods_report_card.pdf

To see PDE’s Guidelines for Nutritional Standards for Competitive Foods, visit their local wellness policy resources Web site at:
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/food_nutrition/cwp/view.asp?Q=119157&A=5