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Industry Pact Commits to Healthier School Meals
January 24, 2011
3 Min Read
NEW YORKThe Alliance for a Healthier Generation announced a new multi-industry voluntary agreement that unites leading food manufacturers, group purchasing organizations and technology companies to help provide more than 30 million students nationwide with access to healthier school meals.
The agreement was brokered by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation.
By signing the agreement, AdvancePierre Foods, Dominos Pizza, JTM Food Group, McCain Foods USA, Rich Products Corporation, Schwans Food Service, Trident Seafoods, HPS, Premier healthcare alliance, Summa/Provista, Interflex, Dole Food Company, Inc., and the National Turkey Federation committed to develop, market and competitively price products that will lead to healthier school meal options; streamline the ordering process; and make identifying healthy options easier.
The signatories will set prices for healthier items that meet the Alliance for a Healthier Generations science-based standards for nutrition at prices no higher than less healthy comparable products. Participating manufacturers also pledged to increase the sales of compliant products to at least 50 percent of their entire school sales within five years.
With students consuming up to half of their daily calories at school, healthy school meals are key to winning the fight against childhood obesity," said President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Building on our agreements that have reduced the number of calories in beverages shipped to schools by 88 percent, the Alliance is now focusing on helping provide more nutritious meal options to more than 30 million school children nationwide."
Manufacturers have committed to aggressively promote products that align with the Alliances Healthy Schools Program standards and will help schools meet or exceed the requirements currently being finalized by the USDA. Product commitments fall in at least one of the following categories within the Alliances science-based guidelines for school foods:
Lean protein products, such as lean red meat, skinless poultry, lean deli meats, fat-free or low-fat cheese, beans and tofu.
Low-fat lunch entrées with reduced total fat, saturated fat and sodium levels.
Whole-grain products, such as bread, pasta and pizza crust.
Fresh, canned or frozen fruit.
Non-fried vegetables.
Zero trans fat cooking oils.
Schools also can save time and gain buying power by joining a group purchasing organization (GPO). With todays agreement three of the largest GPOsHPS, Premier healthcare alliance and Summa/Provistawill offer products that meet the Alliances nutritional guidelines. The Alliance is collaborating with the technology firm Interflex to create an online tool that streamlines the procurement process by assisting schools with planning, bidding and purchasing healthier products. Dole Food Company Inc., and the National Turkey Federation have agreed to leverage their tools and resources to support schools in their implementation of this new approach to school meals.
Additional components in the Alliances school meals strategy to support foodservice professionals being launched over the next year will include in-person and online training programs, menu planning and cooking techniques and recipes from celebrity chefs to school foodservice staff.
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