The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has passed the “Smart Snacks in School” nutrition standards that will effectively ban junk food in schools.  The standards come in the form of an interim final rule, which will have some areas that remain open for public comment and later adaptations or amendments by USDA.  This rule was already made on the basis of a proposed rule that received over 245,000 public comments, which discussed issues including whole-grain requirements, sugar intake, fruits and vegetables, fat content, sodium intake, and calorie counts.

Under the new guidelines, scientifically validated nutrition standards restrict what may and may not be offered in schools.  The standards promote the availability of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, while restricting products with high amounts of fat, sodium, and sugar.  Notably, the rules only apply to the foods sold during the day, not at after-school activities such as sporting events.  The USDA states that they are respecting “time-honored traditions” by excepting concession stands and bake sales.

USDA oversees programs in around 100,000 public and non-profit private schools.  These standards will apply in those schools, bolstering existing nutrition standards in the 39 states that have already implemented them.  The schools will also be free to improve on the USDA standards, making them even more stringent.  However, schools will also have flexibility in implementation, with full force of the rule applying in 2016.  Until then, nutrients may come from fortification.  After that, all the requisite nutrients must come through natural ingredients.

The rule was developed as a requirement of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.  The Act addresses important child nutrition programs under the purview of the USDA.  Other programs include the National School Lunch Program, which provides free or low-cost lunches to children in schools, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which provides nutritious foods in children’s day cares and adult care institutions, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, which assists low-income women that pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that, over the last 30 years, childhood obesity has more than tripled in adolescents and doubled in children.  More than one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.  These conditions increase the risk of multiple short-term and long-term health effects, including high blood pressure, joint problems, heart disease, and cancer. This is the next step in a national battle against childhood obesity.