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FRAC Statement on the IOM Report on Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools

Washington, D.C. – April 25, 2007 – The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) release today of nutrition standards for “competitive foods” in schools will help ensure that the options offered to America’s schoolchildren will promote healthy food choices and positive life-long eating habits.

These science-based, comprehensive standards have the potential for making the school environment healthier and ramping up progress in development and implementation of good school wellness policies.

“FRAC sees the Institute of Medicine’s nutrition standards as a vital contribution to the growing local and national efforts to make our schools into models of good nutrition for all children. These standards, if implemented, have the capacity to improve children’s nutrition and help prevent obesity. In addition, they are very likely to lead to increased participation in healthy school meal programs,” said Lynn Parker, FRAC’s director of child nutrition programs and a member of the IOM committee that developed the standards.

The IOM committee charged with overseeing the development of these new standards affirmed the importance of the federal child nutrition programs in schools – particularly, the school breakfast and lunch programs – as the appropriate and primary source of foods offered to children.

IOM’s report, Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools, recommends guidelines for foods and beverages made available to students in schools through sources other than the federal school lunch and breakfast programs. Also known as competitive foods, such foods include items sold in vending machines, school stores, and “a la carte” lines in the cafeteria. The standards, which were developed by an IOM committee at the request of Congress, promote the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat or low-fat dairy products. They also limit the amount of fat, saturated fat, salt, added sugars, and total calories in products.

The full IOM report is available online.