October 16, 2006 -- School Nutrition Standards Due Next Year

A report on foods available in schools that was scheduled to be released this month will not be available until January 2007, according to the Institute of Medicine. A multidisciplinary committee has held public meetings and surveyed the literature on foods and beverages offered outside the federally reimbursed school lunch and breakfast programs and is considering whether a single set of nutrition standards for such foods is appropriate for elementary, middle, and high schools. The report now due in January is expected to make recommendations for nutrition standards “to assure that foods and beverages offered in schools contribute to an overall healthful eating environment.” The report is also expected to develop benchmarks to guide future evaluation studies of the application of the standards. The study is being supported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Institute of Medicine's "Statement of Task" for the committee on nutrition standards for schools is available online at http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3788/30181.aspx.