School Vending School Vending MachinesMachines

and Food Rewardsand Food Rewards

And What Could Be...And What Could Be...

What Is...

What Is...What Is... 84% of food sold in Kentucky

school vending machines is considered to be junk food.

What could be...What could be...

Schools require that foods sold in vending machines meet nutritional guidelines and limit times foods are sold.

Handout

Alert!

What Is...What Is... Most KY schools have become dependent

on revenue generated by selling unhealthy foods to student body.

What Could Be...What Could Be... Schools could be adequately funded so

they didn’t feel it was necessary to exploit students’ health for revenues.

A careful study of what schools use vending revenue for could be undertaken. Alternative funding sources could be tapped.

What Is...What Is...88% of KY schools use unhealthy food to reward

student behavior and academic performance.

What Could Be...What Could Be...Reward systems other than food could be used. Healthy eating behaviors could be practiced consistently throughout the school, not just preached.

What we’ll coverWhat we’ll cover

Vending in Schools

Soft Drink Sales in Schools:

Exclusive Pouring Rights Contracts

Milk Vending Machines

Food Used As Rewards in School

Vending Machines in Vending Machines in SchoolsSchools

Competitive Foods:

Foods that are sold in competition with school lunch and breakfast program

vending machines

school stores

Why Competitive FoodsWhy Competitive FoodsAre of ConcernAre of Concern

Are commonly foods that can contribute to health problems

Stigmatize participation in school meals program

Affects viability of school meals programs

Sends students a mixed message

The only regulation the USDA has been able to establish regarding competitive food sales is:

Prohibit the sale of Foods of Minimum

Nutritional Value from being sold in food

service area during meal periods.

Foods of Minimal Nutritional Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV)Value (FMNV)

Provide Less Than 5%

of RDA for Key Nutrients

FMNV Include:FMNV Include: soft drinks ices gum candy made predominantly from

sugar – jellybeans, hard candy

FMNV does FMNV does notnot include: include: potato chips & fried snacks chocolate candy pastries cookies/cakes

Policy of Minimal Nutritional ValuePolicy of Minimal Nutritional Value

Any food can be sold on school campus all day long outside of cafeteria.

USDA regulations allow state agencies and school food authorities to establish rules to control sale of competitive food.

KY passed a regulation KY passed a regulation

that restricts the sale of that restricts the sale of

competitive food until 1/2 competitive food until 1/2

hour after close of last hour after close of last

lunch.lunch.

Take Action !Take Action !

When you visit schools, check to see if vending machines are on before ½ hour after lunch is served. Report to school food service manager.

Jefferson County Board of Education Jefferson County Board of Education voted to request that the State Board voted to request that the State Board of Education grant them a waiver, of Education grant them a waiver, allowing them to have vending allowing them to have vending machines on all day in high schools if machines on all day in high schools if products meet nutritional guidelines.products meet nutritional guidelines.

Other States Vending RegulationsOther States Vending Regulations

California banned soda sales in elementary schools.

Los Angeles banned soft drink sales in all public schools (elementary, middle and high) during school hours.

West Virginia and Florida prohibit sale of all competitive foods and beverages in elementary schools.

West Virginia has detailed nutrition standards for competitive foods sold in middle and high schools.

North Carolina requires that foods sold in schools must contribute to nutritional well-being of child and and establishing good food habits.

Maine prohibits all food sales on school campuses during school hours that aren’t a part of school meals.

Exclusive Pouring Rights Exclusive Pouring Rights ContractsContracts

Soda companies and school districts or schools enter into a contractual agreement in which the districts or schools grant exclusive sale rights to a particular soda company.

In KY, 56% of schools have In KY, 56% of schools have exclusive pouring rights exclusive pouring rights contracts.contracts.

Nationally, 47% of schools Nationally, 47% of schools have exclusive pouring rights have exclusive pouring rights contracts.contracts.

How much revenue are we How much revenue are we talking about?talking about?

LOTS!LOTS!Louisville Jefferson County - $1.1 million profits

Lexington Fayette County - $275,000 annual commission guarantee

California

1 time payments to distribute ranged from $55,000 to $ 1 million

Yearly payments $25,000 - $80,000

Items beverage contractsItems beverage contractsmay include:may include:

Large bonus payments

Financial incentives for increased soda

sales

Advertising & promotion

Limited school control over product

selection and machine placement

1 – 10 year contracts

How to Improve Soft Drink Contracts in SchoolsHow to Improve Soft Drink Contracts in Schools

Set school district policies that ensure students have more access to healthy beverages than to unhealthy beverages.

Administer beverage contracts as part of the school district’s overall child nutrition program.

Widely publicize and solicit public comment before entering into beverage contracts at individual schools and school districts.

Eliminate confidentiality clauses that prohibit school districts from sharing with the general public all facts associated with their beverage contracts.

Eliminate school advertising and promotional events that promote unhealthy beverages.

Establish a committee of school personnel, students, parents and community health professionals to evaluate and improve school district beverage policy.

Fund schools and student activities adequately so they do not have to rely on student soft drink consumption to fund educational and extracurricular needs.

Handout

Alert!

Press Release from Coca-Press Release from Coca-Cola 08/02:Cola 08/02:

Supports adoption of non-exclusive contracts with schools

Seeks to provide a wider and more nutritious variety of beverages

Honors wishes of schools re: times of sales and machine placement

Will put non-commercial signage on machines

Milk MachinesMilk Machines

5-month vending study in high 5-month vending study in high schoolsschools

Bottom line – Many students will Bottom line – Many students will choose milk over other beverages if choose milk over other beverages if it is available when, where & how it is available when, where & how they want it.they want it.

What Students Liked About What Students Liked About Vended MilkVended Milk

Availability

Attractive containers

Variety of flavors

Colder temperatures

“High-end product” – considered “cool”

Issues to consider to get Issues to consider to get milk machines in schoolsmilk machines in schools

Machines Product supplies Stocking product Where profits go

-school -school food serviceHandout

Alert!

If I Were Queen ofIf I Were Queen ofVended Milk SalesVended Milk Sales

8 ounce containers

Less sweet formulation for flavored

milks

Recycled plastic or gabled cartons

with “cool” graphics

1% or Less Fat

Food Used As RewardsFood Used As Rewardsin Schoolsin Schools

88% of KY schools use food as rewards

Most common food rewards in KY Most common food rewards in KY schoolsschools

PizzaPizza

CandyCandy

Soft drinksSoft drinks

Ice creamIce cream

Advantages of Using Advantages of Using Food as RewardsFood as Rewards

Easy Inexpensive Short-term behavior changes

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Foods commonly used as rewards can

contribute to health problems

Food preferences for both sweet and non-sweet snack foods increase significantly when food is presented as a reward

May interfere with learning to eat in response to hunger and satiety cues

May contribute to “disordered eating”

Alternatives to Food Alternatives to Food RewardsRewards

Elementary school:

Privileges

School supplies

No homework

Teacher performs special skills (cart wheels, plays guitar, …)

Middle school:

Extra credit

Listen to music

Assemblies/Field trips

Computer time

High school:

Extra credit

Donated coupons (video store, CD’s, movie)

Drawings for donated prizes

Reduction in homework

Handout

Alert!

Schools are a microcosm Schools are a microcosm of the problems of of the problems of America’s current way of America’s current way of eating.eating.

““Never doubt that a small Never doubt that a small group of committed people group of committed people can change the world – can change the world – indeed it is the only thing indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”that ever has.”

--Margaret Mead