Are you looking for an easy clarification about new laws regarding healthy snacks in schools? This legislation is known as the healthy foods initiative and everyone will need to compliant.
There has been a lot of confusion about the standards. This article will address the minimum federal standards. Your school may choose to have stricter standards. Please check with your school to see if they follow the minimum federal standards or if they have a stricter set of standards. The below standards will go into effect July 1, 2014, with some stricter regulations going into effect July 1, 2016.
The following information is a synopsis of the one hour webinar on the healthy foods initiative giving by the USDA for Nama on May 21st 2014.
There can be no advertising or product branding on the machine for any product that is not in compliance with the healthy foods initiative or the facility in which it is located. For example: If you have a Coke branded machine you'll need to switch it out with a Dasani branded machine. This is because Coke is not in compliance with the new regulations, but Dasani is.
The regulations go into effect at midnight every morning until 30 minuets after the school day has concluded. Each school ends at different times, so you will need to check with your school to know when their school day is completed. Some schools may choose to impose this rule 24 hours a day.
Staff areas are not subject to these regulations unless students have access to these areas.
After hours events like school plays and sporting events are not subject to these standards.
If your Vending machine is located in the school cafeteria, it cannot be operational during breakfast and lunch.
Any school who participates in the school lunch and school breakfast programs must follow these minimum standards. This includes private and charter schools. However, any school that does not participate in the school lunch and school breakfast program does not have to follow these standards.
You can go to Healthiergeneration.org/smartsnacks to check if your snack or beverage is in compliance with the regulations listed below.
Snack general federal wide standards:
Healthy snacks must:
- Be a whole grain rich product; or
- Have as the first ingredient a fruit, vegetable, dairy product or protein food (meat, beans, poultry, ect.); or
- Be a “combination food” with at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/ or vegetable; or
- Contain 10% of the Daily Value of one nutrient of public health concern (only through June 30, 2016) Such as Calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber.
The exact percentages are:
Total Fat:
- ≤35% of total calories from fat per item as packaged/served.
- Exemptions include:
- Reduced fat cheese
- Nuts and seeds and nut/seed butters
- Dried fruit with nuts and/ or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat
- Seafood with no added fat
- Part-skim mozzarella
Saturated Fat:
- ≤10% of total calories per item as packaged/served
- Exemptions for: reduced fat cheese, part-skim mozzarella
- Nuts and seeds and nut/seed butters
- Dried fruit with nuts and/ or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat
Trans Fat:
- Zero grams of trans fat per portion as packaged/served (≤0.5g)
Sodium:
- Entree items that do not meet NSLP/SBP exemptions ≤480 mg Sodium per item.
- Snack and side items: ≤230 mg (until June 30, 2016) ≤200 mg (after July 1, 2016)
Calories:
- Entree items that do not meet NSLP/SBP exemption: <350 calories
- Snack items/Side dishes: ≤200 calories per package, no matter how many servings is in a package.
Total Sugars:
- ≤35% of weight from total sugars per item
- To calculate the percentage of sugar by weight: take the grams of sugar on the nutrition facts panel and divide that by the total weight of the food in grams and multiply that by 100. The result will provide you with the percentage of sugar by weight. Do not round the result.
Fruit and Vegetable Exemption: (The following are exempt from meeting all nutrient standards.)
- Fresh, frozen and canned fruit packed in water, 100 percent juice, light syrup or extra light syrup. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables with no added ingredients except water. *Canned vegetables with small amount of sugar for processing purposes.
Gum:
- Only sugar free gum is allowed. However, most schools have a no gum policy.
Standards for Beverages:
Water:
- Plain Water can be any size and it can be carbonated or non carbonated.
Milk:
- Unflavored nonfat and lowfat milk
- Flavored nonfat milk
- Maximum serving sizes:
- 8 fluid ounces in elementary school
- 12 fluid ounces in middle and high schools
Juice:
- 100% fruit and/or vegetable juice
- 100% juice diluted with water (carbonated or non carbonated) – No added sweeteners
- Maximum serving sizes:
- 8 fluid ounces in elementary school
- 12 fluid ounces in middle and high schools
Other Beverages in High School:
- Calorie-free beverages: Maximum serving size 20 fluid ounces
- Calorie-free flavored water, with or without carbonation
- Other “calorie-free” beverages with less than 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or up to 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces.
- Lower-Calorie Beverages- Maximum serving size 12 fluid ounces
- Up to 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces; or
- Up to 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces
Caffeine:
- Elementary and Middle School:
- Foods and beverages must be caffeine free, with the exception of trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine substances.
- High School:
- No caffeine restrictions.
This information is current as of May 21, 2014. Vending How is not responsible for any updates to the healthy foods initiative.
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