The Act FRESH Campaign
- FResh Environments Support Health -
Ensuring Healthy School Food for Every Child:
Successfully Implement New State and Federal Legislation
We call for the development and successful implementation of stronger state and federal school nutrition standards, as directed by recently-passed state and federal
legislation.
STATE STANDARDS
State Regulations for "Competitive Foods" in Schools
On July 13, 2011, the Massachusetts Public Health Council approved final regulations regarding competitive foods in schools! The regulations will take effect in the 2012-2013 school year.
The Act FRESH Campaign will now be working with school food service directors, educational leaders, and other public health advocates to identify barriers to and resources for effective implementation.
- Final regulations.
- July 13 Department of Public Health memo to Public Health Council.
- Powerpoint presented by DPH staff to Public Health Council regarding proposed regulations.
- MPHA preliminary analysis of proposed regulations. (Reflects MPHA positions, not that of the entire Act FRESH Campaign.)
- MPHA Powerpoint presentation on proposed regulations. (Reflects MPHA positions, not that of the entire Act FRESH Campaign.)
- MPHA testimony on proposed regulations. (Reflects MPHA positions, not that of the entire Act FRESH Campaign.)
- Text of 2010 Massachusetts School Nutrition Law.
FEDERAL STANDARDS
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed regulations call for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to be served in school meals, along with new limits on the amount of sodium, calories, and harmful trans fats. The Act FRESH Campaign believes that these new standards would provide our students with balanced meals that will support their learning, while also helping them develop healthy lifetime eating habits.
The French fry industry and other food interests are working to get Congress to stop USDA from finalizing these sensible school nutrition standards. The House of Representatives has already included a rider in its Agriculture spending bill urging USDA to start over from scratch and propose a new set of school meal standards—even though tens of thousands of parents and organizations wrote in to support these important improvements. If industry is successful in convincing the Senate to do the same, the goal of seeing healthy school lunches in cafeterias across the country will be in serious jeopardy.
Please help by sending an email to both of your Senators today asking them to support USDA's efforts to improve school meals.
Learn about other Act FRESH Campaign priorities and how you can get involved.