69ý

School & District Management

Pact Aims for Healthier Snacks in Vending Machines

By Christina A. Samuels — October 13, 2006 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Several leading snack-food makers have entered into a voluntary agreement to provide healthier options for school vending machines as part of an agreement with former President Clinton’s foundation and the American Heart Association.

More information on the is available from the .

Campbell Soup Co., the Dannon Co., Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc., and PepsiCo Inc. have agreed to reformulate some of their products and develop new products, while encouraging support of the guidelines by vending machine servicing firms and schools. The guidelines would apply to snacks sold throughout schools, including in school stores, snack carts, and by students as fundraisers.

The agreement is similar to one announced in May between soft drink companies, on one side, and the William J. Clinton Foundation and the heart association, which have partnered in an initiative called the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, based in New York City. The soft drink companies involved in that agreement—Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, Coca-Cola Co., and PepsiCo Inc.—have more control over what goes into vending machines than snack-food companies do, however. All the snack makers said, though, that they would encourage vending-machine operators and schools to stock the healthier options.

“What we are setting in motion with these guidelines will dramatically change the kind of food that children have access to at school,” Mr. Clinton said when the agreement was announced on Oct. 6.

Such agreements come at a time of rising concern about childhood obesity and attention to schools’ part in fostering better nutrition.

Vendors on Board?

The guidelines for snacks say that such foods should follow a “35-10-35” format: no more than 35 percent of calories from total fat, no more than 10 percent from saturated fat, and no more than 35 percent sugar by weight. The guidelines also specify that the foods must be free of trans fats, which are linked to high cholesterol, and have no more than 230 milligrams of sodium per serving. Certain foods with other nutrients can be exceptions to those general guidelines, including fruits and vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, soups, and eggs.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health-advocacy group in Washington that had threatened to sue soft drink companies before the agreement announced in May, said the latest agreement was “benevolent” but didn’t go far enough.

“It’s schools and vending-machine companies who decide what to stock in school vending machines, and they aren’t parties to this agreement,” Margo G. Wootan, the director of nutrition policy for the group, said in a statement. “These voluntary guidelines shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for strong federal action to get junk food out of schools.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Whitepaper
Future-Driven Leadership: Five Goals for Dynamic School Leaders in 2024
This guide offers practical strategies for district leaders to foster innovation, empower staff, support wellness, amplify student voices...
Content provided by BookNook
School & District Management What the Research Says Four Ways to Stop Teacher Turnover From Hamstringing School Improvement
Staffing instability can unravel the social fabric of schools, experts say, unless leaders work to keep connections strong.
6 min read
Woman of color exiting out of a door.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management Spooked by Halloween, Some 69ý Ban Costumes—But Not Without Pushback
69ý are tweaking Halloween traditions to make them more inclusive to all students.
4 min read
A group of elementary school kids sitting on a curb dressed in their Halloween costumes.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management 69ý Take a $3 Billion Hit From the Culture Wars. Here’s How It Breaks Down
Culturally divisive conflicts in schools have led to increased legal and security costs, as well as staff time spent on the fallout.
4 min read
Illustration of a businessman with his hands on his head while he watches dollars being sucked down into a dark hole.
DigitalVision Vectors