Still waiting and Harkin's amendment to update school nutrition standards

There is no definitive word on how the Senate will proceed with the farm bill, John Keeling of the National Potato Council told me this morning. Meanwhile, there continue to be some reports reflecting optimism about the chance for immediate Senate action, while other voices say it is not likely until the first quarter of 2008.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Harkin announced today that he has broad support for a planned amendment to the farm bill that will update nutrition standards of food sold in schools - outside of the school feeding programs. There is little detail in the news release about specific measures. From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Harkin-Murkowski Amendment Will Update Decades- Old Nutrition Standards in Schools Nationwide

Amendment to be offered to Senate farm bill has broad support

Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced that they plan to offer an amendment to the pending Senate farm bill to update decades-old nutrition standards in schools. The amendment, the result of months of negotiation with both the public health community and the food and beverage industry, seeks to establish appropriate school nutrition standards for foods and beverages offered in school vending machines, school stores and other venues outside of the school meal programs. The effort represents the broadest reform of foods sold in schools since the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) first implemented nutritional guidelines in the 1970’s.

“Our amendment will improve the diets and nutrition of America’s school children by setting reasonable, common-sense standards for the foods and beverages that are sold in school vending machines and similar outlets,” said Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. “School sales of candy, snacks and soft drinks have gone way up in recent years even as more and more kids are overweight or obese or have chronic diseases such as diabetes. This is a dangerous equation for the health of America’s kids – now and in their adult lives.”

“A healthy population starts with healthy children – we must establish healthy habits and activities at an early age to prevent obesity and diet-related diseases later in life,” said Senator Murkowski. “This amendment is a step towards countering the youth obesity epidemic. The current standards for competitive foods sold in schools are out of date and do not include any of the current knowledge about the dangers of trans fats, high sodium, sugar and cholesterol and nutritional guidelines.”

The amendment has broad support from both the food and beverage industry and health and education groups including:

Coca-Cola
American Association of School Administrators
Nestle
American Cancer Society
Mars
American Dental Association
Frito-Lay
American Diabetes Association
General Mills
American Dietetic Association
McCain foods
American Federal of Teachers
Pepsi-Co
American Medical Association
Cadbury Schweppes
American Public Health Association
Dannon
Center for Science in the Public Interest
American Beverage Association
Consumer Federation of America
Kellogg
Food Research and Action Center
International Dairy Food Association
National Association of School Nurses
National Milk Producers Federation
National Education Association
National PTA

“If parents, public health advocates and industry can come together with these senators on a national standard, the rest of the Senate should be able to do the same and pass this important amendment promptly,” said Susan K. Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association.

“States have been strengthening their school nutrition policies. But after a decade of hard work, two-thirds of states have no or weak nutrition standards to limit junk-food and soda sales out of vending machines, school stores, and other venues outside of school meals,” said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at CSPI. “We hope that Congress will listen to parents, health organizations, and the food and beverage industry and strengthen the national nutrition standards for school foods this year.”

“Our knowledge about the importance of nutrition and of nutrition itself has changed greatly in the 30 years since the standards for school foods were established,” said Jennifer Weber of the American Dietetic Association. “This amendment can help transform the nutrition environment in schools so that it is consistent with our knowledge of children's nutrition and health. It is simply responsible to students' well being to act now to review and update the nutrition standards for foods sold in schools across the nation.”

Since the 109th Congress, Harkin and Murkowski have introduced The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, which is similar to the amendment announced today.