Approving Food To Be Sold On School Premises

Through its food service program, the Board has a responsibility of encouraging students to form healthy eating habits. Students may tend to eat foods, which are not nutritious, and those, which may contribute to future health problems. Therefore, standards governing the types of food that may be sold in the schools and the time and place each type of food may be sold will be enforced.

1. The Board of Education has established the following standards for approving all food to be sold in schools:

a. The School District shall periodically form an Advisory Council which shall include members of the community, students, parents, nutritionist, and school personnel to make recommendations on the types of food to be sold in its schools.

b. The Advisory Council shall also assist the principal in the establishing a time and place for such approved foods to be sold.

c. The Council will assist in determining the types of foods to be sold by using a nutrient comparison procedure. Only those foods which have the potential of contributing significantly to the daily nutritional needs of children shall be recommended. The School District's nutrition philosophy and nutrition education program shall be considered when determining the types of foods to be sold.

2. Each building principal shall consider the recommendation of the Advisory Council when establishing a time and place for approved food to be sold. The time and place for sale of food shall be determining by using other criteria, such as:

a. Food of "minimal nutritional value" shall not be sold in the food service area during meal serving periods.

b. Foods shall not be sold between breakfast and lunch each day except for scheduled milk breaks.

c. Foods shall not be sold at times and places which will compete with the schools nonprofit food service and be consistent with the cost efficient operations of the schools food service program.

d. Foods sold after lunch and during the school day shall be scheduled at times, which will provide minimum interferences with scheduled classes. (recess, study periods, etc.)

3. The types of food to be sold to the staff and those foods to be sold at extracurricular activated shall be determined after considering the recommendation of the Advisory Council selected under paragraph A (1) of this policy. Selection criteria include:

a. The standard of selection will include a nutrient comparison procedure.

b. Foods of "minimal nutritional value" may be excluded from sales to the staff or at extracurricular activities if they undermine the School Districts nutrition education program.

c. The selection process under this paragraph may involve consideration of the general public health by avoiding the inclusion of foods containing large amounts of sugar, highly saturated fats and high sodium levels.

4. Federal regulations prohibit the sale of foods of "minimal nutritional value" in the food service areas during meal serving periods.

5. Foods in the category of "minimal nutritional value" include: soda water (carbonated beverages); water ices (popsicles), chewing gum; and candies of the following types; hard candy including breath mints and cough drops, jellies, and gums, marshmallow candies, fondant, licorice, spun candy and candy coated popcorn. Serving the above listed minimal nutritional value foods in the foods service area(s) will place a School Fund Authority in noncompliance and may result in the withholding of payments, suspension, and/or termination of the food service agreement.

6. Upon review and approval, the Board of Education will adopt and enforce the standards which shall be used as the basis for approving all food to be sold at schools, establishing a time, and place for such approved food to be sold.

References: O.R.C. Section 3313.814
O.R.C. Section 3301-91-09
O.D.E. Division of School Food Service Regulations (1995)