February 28, 2009 -- Today, the 37th annual School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference (LAC) unofficially kicked off with two pre-conference education sessions on lobbying state legislatures and the financial challenges of school nutrition. The conference will be blogged live on SNA's "From the Kitchen to the Congress" blog over the next few days until the gathering closes on Wednesday, March 4, 2009.
Over 695 attendees, and counting, will hear from an excellent line-up of scheduled speakers including: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Senator Bob Casey (D-Penn.) and Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) Political commentator Ronald Brownstein will keynote the Sunday luncheon, while nutrition experts Dr. Keith Ayoob, Dr. Brian Wansink, and Dr. Virginia Stallings are scheduled to speak Monday and Wednesday.
Read and comment on the conference through the blog by visiting "From the Kitchen to the Congress."
February 27, 2009 -- A recent Associated Press article from New Mexico details the struggles that parents and schools are having with unpaid school lunch bills as a result of the economic downturn. SNA estimates that about half of all school district nutrition programs have seen an increase in the number of parents who do not qualify for free price meals but who can no longer afford the price of a reduced price or paid meal. Districts handle this situation differently, some allowing meals to be charged, others providing an alternate meal. The School Nutrition Association has long held the position that nutritious, balanced school meals should be available to all children at no cost. While SNA advocacy efforts continue at the federal level calling for policies to increase access to school meals for all children in need, such as eliminating the reduced price co-pay, the Association has compiled resources and sample policies to help school districts address this situation in a manner that protects children and results in balanced meals for all. Please visit the links below for more information regarding charge policy resources.
Legislative Issue Paper
Charge Policy Resources
No Money for School Lunch - New York Times
No More Free Lunch - Associated Press
February 26, 2009 -- On Thursday, February 26, 2009, the Obama Administration proposed a $3.55 trillion budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. The proposed budget requests $1 billion per year in new spending for 2009 Child Nutrition Reauthorization, consistent with the President’s commitment to ending childhood hunger by 2015. According the White House, this annual increase is for program reforms aimed at “improving access, enhancing the nutritional quality of school meals, expanding nutrition research and evaluation, and improving program oversight.” This represents a new investment and new funding on top of approximately $15 billion a year currently spent on federal child nutrition programs. Reportedly Obama's proposal would add $9.85 billion to the programs through fiscal 2019.
In general, the proposed budget estimates a $1.75 trillion deficit for FY 2009, which began five months ago. The administration has vowed to cut this amount to $533 billion by 2013. Much of the funding in the FY 2010 budget goes towards several select programs. An additional $750 billion would be sent to banks to aid in the financial rescue efforts. $130 billion would be spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, while approximately $634 billion will be put in a “reserve fund” to address changes in the health care system. President Obama’s budget would also roll back the tax reductions for families with incomes exceeding $250,000 a year put in place by former President George W. Bush. The proposed budget would also cut farm subsidies. To make revenue, the budget includes a provision that would create a greenhouse gas trading system.
A line-by-line budget request for the child nutrition programs is expected within the coming months. That budget will detail the President’s request for the operating budgets of the child nutrition programs for FY 2010 including specifics on what the new funding would be spent on.
February 26, 2009 -- Just announced! U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is among those scheduled to speak at the 37th Annual Legislative Action Conference next week. Secretary Vilsack will address attendees during the 2nd General Session on Monday morning, March 2, 2009. In recent weeks, Secretary Vilsack has stated in various news interviews that he considers child nutrition to be an important priority for the USDA. In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Secretary Vilsack noted that he sees the school nutrition programs as an important tool for defeating childhood hunger.
Secretary Vilsack is just one of the many dynamic speakers expected to present at LAC 2009. Other speakers include:
For those unable to attend LAC this year, SNA will be bringing the conference to you. Check out SNA’s reauthorization blog, From the Kitchen to the Congress for live updates from the conference.
LAC 2009
February 25, 2009 - On February 23, 2009, President Obama announced the intention to nominate Kathleen Merrigan as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. The Deputy Secretary position reports directly to the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
According to an official USDA statement, "we at the U.S. Department of Agriculture welcome the President's intention to nominate Dr. Merrigan," said Secretary Tom Vilsack. "She will bring to USDA extensive expertise in agricultural marketing and nutrition and in legislative affairs and will provide excellent, experienced leadership as we move President Obama's agricultural and nutritional agenda forward." Merrigan is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Masters and Doctorate Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, in Boston, Mass. Prior to joining the Friedman School, Merrigan held a variety of policymaking jobs at the state, federal, and international level. From 1999 to 2001, she was Administrator of Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 1994 to 1999, she worked at the Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, and served as an expert consultant at the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. From 1987 to 1992 she was a staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, working for Chairman Patrick Leahy where she helped write federal organic food-labeling rules.
From 1986 to 1987, Merrigan worked in the regulatory division of the Texas Department of Agriculture and from 1982 to 1985; she worked for Congressman John Olver during his tenure in the Massachusetts State Senate. Merrigan holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in environmental planning and policy, a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Williams College.
To date no official announcement has been made on who will be nominated as Under Secretary of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service or Deputy Under Secretary of the Food and Nutrition Service.
February 23, 2009 - Sara Gasiorowski, Food Service Director for the Wayne Township School District in Indianapolis, first learned about weekend feeding programs, through SNA’s Daily Mix Newsletter. She read a news article about a BackPack Program in Arvada, CO and knew this could provide a solution for some of her district’s neediest children. After conducting research on different food banks and BackPack Programs throughout the country, she was able to connect with Gleaners Community Food Bank and their “Weekend Food for Kids” program. Thanks to funding from Gleaners, almost 700 children in her district receive a backpack full of food every weekend. Gasiorowski is working to grow the program so that she can offer it to any student who needs it. She is currently in the process of organizing a benefit concert April 15th featuring the Purdettes from Purdue University and the Wayne Township high school show choir. Gasiorowski hopes to raise $6000-$8000 to benefit the Weekend Food for Kids Program. “This is an amazing program that benefits so many children – I wish we could do more!” she says.
School Backpack Feeding Program
BackPack Programs were designed to meet the needs of children who rely on school nutrition programs as their primary source of meals during the school year. BackPack programs fill the nutrition gap for weekends and holiday breaks. Typically, children who participate receive a back pack filled with child friendly, shelf-stable, vitamin fortified foods to take home on the weekends. Backpacks are discretely filled and distributed to children in the classroom, nurse’s office or guidance office. According to Feeding America’s (Formerly America’s Second Harvest) Karrie Denniston, more than 120 Feeding America members operate over 1,600 BackPack Programs in 41 states and Washington, D.C, and serve more than 70,000 children each year. These programs have experienced 100% growth over the last 10 years and were established as a National Program by Feeding America in 2006. Denniston states, “Schools are our primary partner and the area where we have seen the most tremendous growth.”
If you would like to learn more about starting a BackPack Program in your school district, contact June Tanoue at Feeding America at 312-641-6830. You can also locate your local food bank through Feeding America’s Food Bank Locator at www.feedingamerica.org.
On Friday, February 20, 2009, the New York Times ran an opinion piece by chef Alice Waters arguing for changes to the National School Lunch Program. In the column, Waters and co-author Katrina Heron acknowledge that the National School Lunch Program is underfunded, with many school districts using a portion of the reimbursement money to pay for indirect costs. SNA applauds their call for Congress to increase the federal reimbursement to $5 per child per day at a cost of $27 billion per year.
Over the past sixty years school nutrition professionals have been fighting an uphill funding battle, but by using creativity, passion and the few dollars provided per meal, they ensure millions of children get balanced lunches each day. Today’s school lunches do provide more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and lowfat dairy than lunches brought from home or from kids meals at their favorite restaurant. With all the challenges, school nutrition professionals across the country have found ways to work with local farmers, incorporate nutrition education into the cafeteria and expose children to now popular menu items such as kiwi, whole grain breaded baked chicken and hummus.
The School Nutrition Association strongly supports increasing reimbursement rates for the federal school nutrition programs. In the 2009 Legislative Issue Paper, SNA asks for increased funds to keep pace with rising costs and implementing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Association also requests that the federal reimbursement rate be adjusted semi-annually in order to keep up with widely fluctuating prices.
SNA is also calling on Congress to grant the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to regulate the sale of all foods and beverages served on the school campus, ending the “time and place” rule. SNA is asking the Department of Agriculture to implement a consistent, science based, national interpretation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for all reimbursable school meals.
From March 1-4, 2009, members of the School Nutrition Association will be in Washington, DC to encourage their members of Congress to increase funding for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Friends of child nutrition can also send an email to Congress supporting increased funding through the link below.
SNA 2009 Legislative Issue Paper
Email Congress on Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2009
Child Nutrition Forum Statement of Principles
Legislative Action Conference
No Lunch Left Behind New York Times, February 20, 2009
The article "When Nudging in the Lunch Line Might Be a Good Thing" in the March 2009 issue of Amber Waves, the publication of the USDA Economic Research Service, discusses how the behavioral economics concept of “choice architecture” can be applied to the school food environment. The article reviews several studies that outline how to structure school cafeteria environments in a noncoercive manner to encourage healthy choices.
Among the strategies covered in the article are prompts by school nutrition employees during lunch service, suggesting students try a fruit or vegetable. Another suggestion is reducing noise in the cafeteria and lengthening lunch serving times to provide an environment more conducive to relaxed, healthy eating. The final discussion centered around research conducted at Cornell University with college students on the effect different payment options has on food choices. The Cornell study findings were released as a separate report last December. Brain Wansink, one of the Cornell study authors, will be speaking at SNA's Legislative Action Conference on March 2,2009.
School nutrition professionals often use a wide array of marketing and nutrition education techniques to promote healthy eating habits among students, including student taste tests of new fruits, vegetables and whole grain items, making fresh fruit available in a welcoming manner in several convenient location on the lunch line, as well as other strategies. Over 96% of school nutrition programs now offer fresh fruits and vegetables consistently, while 88% offer salad bars and packaged salads.
When Nudging in the Lunch Line Might Be a Good Thing ERS Amber Waves article
Behavioral Economic Concepts to Encourage Healthy Eating in School Cafeterias (PDF)
UPDATE: Memo from USDA on 2009 Equipment Assistance Grants for School Food Authorities March 9, 2009
UPDATE: Memo from USDA on Stimulus Provision February 28, 2009
UPDATE: On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan legislation into law.
UPDATE: Around 10:50 PM on Feb. 13, 2009, the Senate passed the final stimulus bill by a vote of 60 to 38. The legislation now goes to the White House for the President's signature.
UPDATE: Just after 2:30 PM on Feb. 13, 2009, the House passed the stimulus bill by a vote of 246 to 183 with one vote of present.
February 13, 2009 – Today the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives finish debate on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan – the $789 billion economic recovery and stimulus package – with votes expected in both bodies by this evening. Several items within the bill will positively benefit child nutrition including $100 million in school food equipment grant assistance – a provision that will save and create jobs in the foodservice equipment manufacturing sector as well as benefitting the quality of food provided through school nutrition programs.
The school food equipment assistance grant program consists of $100,000,000 available to carry out a grant program for National School Lunch Program equipment assistance with the funds provided to States agencies administering the school lunch program based on the proportion of meals served per state. According to the stimulus package language, States shall provide competitive grants to school food authorities based upon the need for equipment assistance in participating schools with priority given to school in which 50 percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Funds would be made available through FY 2010.
Since the first of the year SNA members sent over 4,950 emails to members of Congress requesting that school foodservice equipment and school nutrition funding is included in the stimulus bill. SNA members have reported that much of the school kitchen equipment being used is up to thirty or forty years old. One school nutrition director in South Dakota wrote about their Blodgett oven that broke down and required a local auto mechanic to fashion a part for the 38 year old piece of equipment in order for it continue to function. The oven has continued to be repaired and is still in use four years after that repair. An SNA member working for a foodservice equipment manufacturer in Kentucky that employs 150 people wrote that the equipment provision in the stimulus will create jobs for companies that make school food equipment.
Additional provisions that will benefit the nutritional well being of children include:
WIC -- $400 million for program operations, $100 million for management information systems - all designated as emergency spending
TEFAP -- $100 million for food, $50 million for administrative expenses.
Funding for after school meals such as dinners through the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program that was included in the original House version is not included in the final conference committee version of the economic stimulus bill.
February 12, 2009 -- The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will hold a hearing on the child nutrition programs on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. The hearing, although a day later than the traditional Charge to the Hill, is being held to coincide with the Legislative Action Conference (LAC). SNA President Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS is among those invited to testify. Please plan on attending this hearing if possible, which is immediately following the final general session.
There are several other additions to the LAC conference schedule. Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) will speak during the 2nd general session on Monday, March 2, 2009. Representative McGovern is a long time anti-hunger advocate and supporter of the child nutrition programs. He is a co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus.
Noted nutritionist Dr. Keith Ayoob will also speak during the 2nd general session. Dr. Ayoob is a practicing pediatric nutritionist and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dr. Ayoob is nationally known for his work on childhood overweight and obesity issues, as well as his research on myths and misconceptions regarding nutrition and health.
It’s not too late to register for LAC 2009! Over 650 SNA members will be in Washington, DC March 1-4, 2009, advocating for the school nutrition programs. Are you one of them? Please visit the LAC 2009 page for additional information.
February 11, 2009 -- The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) in partnership with General Mills will be offering a FREE webinar on Wednesday, February 18, 2009, entitled “School Breakfast: Its All About Location, Location, Location.” School nutrition program directors/supervisors, managers, and employees will have the opportunity to learn about the benefits of breakfast, ways to get students excited about breakfast, and types of alternative breakfast service options. Moderator Ali VanGorden will discuss and share best practices for expanding school breakfast through alternative locations, while three operator panelists, including 2008-2009 SNA President Katie Wilson, will share the details of their own school breakfast programs.
Title: School Breakfast: Its All About Location, Location, Location
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Time: 2:30 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time)
Duration: 75 minutes (approximately)
The webinar will be moderated by Ali VanGorden of General Mills. Speakers include District Director Katie Wilson, Ph.D., SNS, of Onalaska Public Schools in Onalaska, WI and 2008-2009 School Nutrition Association President; Lora Gilbert, MS, RD, FADA, SNS, of Orange County School District in Orlando, FL; and Karen Crawford, MS, RD, CSP of Gwinnett Public Schools in Suwanee, GA.
For more information on this webinar, including where and how to register, please click here to register for the webinar or visit www.schoolnutrition.org/schoolbreakfast. SNA members may earn 1 continuing education unit (CEU) for participating in the webinar. Instructions on how to obtain your CEU can be found by clicking on the URL above.
This webinar is the third in SNF’s new “Wednesday Webinars” series and will be offered at no charge. Stay tuned to www.schoolnutrition.org/webinars for information on upcoming Wednesday Webinars throughout the 2008-2009 school year.
February 11, 2009 -- The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association today named past School Nutrition Association president Marcia Smith, Phd, SNS a 2009 Silver Plate Award Winner in the elementary and secondary schools category. Smith will be awarded the honor at the Gold and Silver Plate Award Dinner to be held May 18, 2009, as part of the National Restaurant Association’s annual conference in Chicago, Ill. The prestigious Silver Plate recognizes achievements in foodservice management, marketing, human resources and industry and civic participation.
Marcia Smith is currently the Director of Food and Nutrition for Polk County Schools in central Florida. She has served as president of the Florida School Nutrition Association and served as Southeast Regional Director on the SNA Executive Board from 1992-94. Marcia served as President of SNA during the 2001-02 school year, President of the School Nutrition Foundation in 2002-2003, and last year served as chair of the SNA Political Action Committee.
IFMA announces 2009 Silver Plate winners
February 11, 2009 -- Helping teens to get fit and make healthy food choices is no easy task. The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), creators of the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign, is teaming up with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to motivate students to adopt a healthier lifestyle. On February 12, MilkPEP is launching “Get Fit By Finals,” a fitness- and nutrition-based education initiative that encourages teens to take simple steps towards fitness that include getting physically active and making healthier food and beverage choices, like drinking milk. The goal of the program is to impact the trend of inactivity and childhood obesity in America.
MilkPEP is reaching out to teens via online programs and in-school education that will reward them for improving their nutrition and physical fitness, and will feature free tools and information from experts at the NBA. “Get Fit By Finals” runs through June 2009 to coincide with the end-of-year school finals and the NBA Finals.
Involving some of the nation’s most popular and admired athletes, “Get Fit By Finals” challenges teens to set health goals and gives them actionable advice to take small steps to reach those goals and increase their fitness level. NBA and WNBA players serve as role models to help teens make positive changes to enhance their health. “Get Fit By Finals” encourages teens to make two small changes in their daily routine:
“Get Fit By Finals” is an extension of the popular Body By Milk campaign, which helps educate teens that lowfat or fat free milk is an important choice for those who are active and want to get fit and look their best.
Resources can be obtained through the Related Link.
Get Fit By Finals
February 11, 2009 -- The School Nutrition Association’s 2009 Child Nutrition Industry Conference (CNIC), held last month in New Orleans, was a resounding success! Hundreds of school nutrition professionals and industry partners from all over the country traveled to the Big Easy for three days of sharing, learning, networking and fun. Below are some highlights from the conference:
If you were unable to attend this year’s conference, handouts for select presentations are available at www.schoolnutrition.org/Content.aspx?id=10890.
For those who attended the conference, SNA and EZ Event Photography are offering keepsake print photos of CNIC sessions, events and other conference excitement. Browse over 2,000 images to see if you or your colleagues were captured on camera! To order prints, you can select either print photos (8x10, 5x7 or 4x6) or digital files (via e-mail or CD). To view and order photos, visit www.ezeventphotography.com/login.php, and type in “CNIC” as both the login and password.
Be sure to mark your calendar for CNIC 2010 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., January 10-12, and stay tuned to SchoolNutrition.org for conference information!
CNIC Photos (Use “CNIC” as both the login and password)
CNIC Session Handouts
Around noon on February 10, 2009, the US Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act economic stimulus legislation by a vote of 61 to 37. SNA has learned that $100 million in school nutrition equipment grants was included in the bill as passed by the Senate. Thank you to the 1,300 SNA members and friends who sent emails and made calls to Senate offices after reports last Friday that the equipment funds of $198 million had been completely cut from the bill.
The Senate and House conferees now meet in Conference Committee to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the stimulus bill. The Senate version has the $100 million for equipment but no funding for after school meals. The House version has funding for after school meals but no funding for kitchen equipment. SNA members are encouraged to continue to contact their members of Congress to emphasize the importance of school nutrition funding. For more related news, check out the SNA Reauthorization Blog - From the Kitchen to the Congress.
The following members of Congress were appointed to the Conference Committee:
Representative David Obey (D-WI)
Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY
Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Representative Dave Camp (R-MI)
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)
SNA president Katie Wilson, PhD, SNS recently sent a letter to key members of Congress explaining the potential impact of school nutrition equipment assistance grants on the economy. The letter says in part:
The School Nutrition Association respectfully urges you to retain the $100 million provided by the Senate for school foodservice equipment as part of the House-Senate agreement on H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These funds are certainly needed, and will be well and promptly spent, while helping our school nutrition professionals improve their ability to serve nutritious foods to our nation’s school children.
Nationally, many school districts are waiting to replace aged and outdated foodservice equipment due to lack of funds. In some school districts, the foodservice equipment is approximately 30 to 40 years old. Local funding from school districts has historically not been used for kitchen equipment. In the early 1980's Congress eliminated funding for foodservice equipment for schools. Many school districts have not been able to replace their cooking equipment since that time. Congress can and should take the opportunity now to both boost the demand for these manufactured items while at the same time providing schools with the equipment they need to prepare even more healthful meals in school kitchens.
Participation in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program is rising as the economy worsens. Despite increased participation, the school nutrition programs still struggle to break even as the average cost of preparing a school meal is $2.90, according to a September 2008 report by the School Nutrition Association while the federal government only reimburses $2.57 per free meal. This leaves nothing to put away in savings as funds for repairing or purchasing needed foodservice equipment that may cost tens of thousands of dollars.
In some parts of the country, school districts must replace certain equipment items, such as deep fryers, with more expensive items such as convection ovens, in order to meet requirements set by state nutrition guidelines and local school wellness policies that prohibit fried foods. No funds are available at the state or local level to cover the cost of replacing this equipment.
Foodservice equipment manufacturers are facing the prospect of layoffs as commercial foodservice establishments cut back on new equipment purchases. A grant program for school foodservice equipment will generate job creation and prevent layoffs among the many U.S manufacturers of foodservice equipment such as those companies that make commercial ovens, steam tables, serving lines, refrigerators, warewashers, and other much need foodservice equipment.
School nutrition programs that are striving to cook more meals from scratch and depend less on processed foods are finding they do not have the funds to purchase refrigerators, convection ovens and prep tables necessary for handling raw produce and other fresh food items.
These are important dollars which we believe should be included in the conference agreement. We appreciate the efforts you have made so far, and look forward to continuing to work with you in support of wholesome meals for our nation’s school children.
February 10, 2009 -- Since the redesign and reorganization of the SNA website launched last summer, a vast number of new resources and features have been added. Some of these may sometimes be hard to find, but all are worth exploring. Here are 15 treasures of www.schoolnutrition.org that might make your life in the school nutrition world a little easier, or at least save you some time.
1. From the Kitchen to the Congress: SNA's child nutrition reauthorization blog
One of the newest additions to the SNA website, the blog features new posts several times each week and offers an in-depth and often behind-the-scenes look at the child nutrition reauthorization process. The first post to the blog (in late January 2009) is an excellent primer on what a reauthorization process entails.
2. Open Forum Discussion Boards
Share your thoughts on school nutrition topics, from rising costs and funding concerns, to supply chain issues and reauthorization priorities. Several forums are available for all to view and for SNA members to use to comment, ask questions and share resources. These forums are only as helpful as YOU make them, so post a questions or resource today!
3. Supply Chain Toolkit
Fresh off its launch at SNA’s Child Nutrition Industry Conference, the School Nutrition Supply Chain Toolkit is an interactive website and toolkit with Excel templates, brief chapters discussing supply chain efficiencies, worksheets, examples and more - all designed to help streamline the school nutrition supply chain.
4. Charge Policy Resources
School nutrition professionals nationwide continue to struggle with the best way to collect past-due meal account charges while not denying a child a nutritious, balanced meal. There are no easy answers, but these resources offer ideas, examples and sample policy components to help you determine the best direction for your district.
5. Research by Topic
Ever wonder where that research is that proves school breakfast helps to improve test scores? How about the study that showed students who eat school lunch have a lower Body Mass Index than those who do not? This webpage has links to all of that research and much more - organized by topic and kept up to date.
6. Commenting on News Stories
Feedback from SNA members and the public consistently shows that the news stories posted on SNA's website are among the most read and highly regarded parts of the website. But did you know members can comment and rate these stories, as well? Join the community and try it today by logging in with your SNA username and commenting below!
7. Digg and Delicous
Digg is a social news website that allows users to share articles from anywhere on the Internet, vote on those articles and engage in discussions about them. If you find a news story on SchoolNutrition.org that you want to share, you can “digg” it by clicking on the Digg icon at the bottom on the page. You then will be redirected to Digg.com. Once you have shared an item, other registered users can find it and “digg” it or, if it does not interest them, they can “bury” it. Submissions with the most “diggs” are displayed on the home page of the Digg website.
Delicious is a social bookmarking service that allows you to easily add sites that you like to your personal collection of links; categorize those sites with keywords; and share your collection with others. When you find a page on SchoolNutrition.org that you would like to add to your list, simply click on the Delicious icon to take you to the Delicious website. You can add descriptive terms to group similar links together, modify the title of the page and add extended notes for yourself or for others. You can access your list of links from any web browser. For more information, visit http://del.icio.us.
8. SchoolLunch: SNA on Twitter
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send updates (otherwise known as tweets) which are text-based and limited to 140 characters. Twitter users can 'follow" SNA through the "SchoolLunch" username. Updates are frequent and include policy, media and program news as well as a daily school lunch menu from a school somewhere in the country.
9. Presentation Library from Past Conferences
Vaguely recall an education session you attended at a past SNA conference that wish you had the PowerPoint for? Chances are that presentation is on the SNA website along with hundreds of others from ANC, LAC, CNIC and NLC for the past several years. These make great resources to review if you are ever asked to present at a state conference, chapter meeting or elsewhere.
10. Career Center
SchoolNutrition.org’s old Job Bank site has given way to a new and improved Career Center, the best place online to look for current jobs in school nutrition - from director positions, manager and staff positions, even state level or industry positions. You can view jobs, create a personal job alert and post your resume for prospective employers to review.
11. Cafeteria Site Visit 101
Ever consider inviting a member of Congress, mayor, reporter, or anyone else to the cafeteria to check out the healthy meals being served? This resource walks you through the entire process, helping you to get the best exposure out of such events.
12. State Legislation Database through NetScan
Food allergy legislation in Virginia? School meals nutrition standards in South Carolina? A competitive foods proposal in Iowa? Handwashing in Illinois? Search this webpage to track the status and read the text of all relevant state legislation. It is updated daily.
13. Capitol Hill Basics, Media Guide
These resources will help you reference how to address a letter to a member of Congress; send a letter to the editor of local papers; or search for the names of staff members at your Senators office. You can take all these steps—and more--through the SNA Legislative Action Center.
14. Promotion Calendar
When is National Nutrition Month? When is next year’s Super Bowl? Wish you had some fresh promotion opportunities during the year? Each year, SNA compiles various monthly, weekly and daily observances for the upcoming school year. In addition to the all-important dates, you’ll find fun facts, backgrounders and promotion ideas. This one is for SNA Members Only.
15. School Nutrition University
You might have known this one as CNU or Child Nutrition University previously but the name and a lot more has recently changed. New course with a lot more in development as well. Preview the new site here: http://www.snuniversity.org/
Did we miss one of your favorite parts of the SNA website? Post it in the comments section below!
Take action now! Additional funding for the school nutrition programs, as included in the Senate version of the economic recovery package is at risk! As the Senate continues to debate it’s version of the economic recovery plan, it is imperative that they hear of your support for funding for school foodservice equipment grants. Please contact your senators now, asking them to please keep additional funding for all federal food assistance programs in the economic recovery package.
Immediate action is needed! Please click on this link to send an action alert to your senators today!
To read more about the need for school foodservice equipment funding please check out SNA"s From the Kitchen to the Congess blog.
Action Alert
Equipment Needed Blog Post
February 6, 2009 -- Yesterday the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee held a hearing entitled, “Examination of Federal Food Safety Oversight in the Wake of Peanut Products Recall.” Attending the hearing were Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), along with Senators Casey (D-PA), Johanns (R-NE), Klobuchar (D-MN), and Leahy (D-VT).
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) continues to consider the safety of school food as a top priority. This is evident from both the amount and quality of staff training that school districts provide their staff, as well as the school food safety record. SNA maintains that even one student's illness caused by eating a school meal is too many, which is why school nutrition professionals nationwide have worked hard over the past three years to implement HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) a comprehensive approach to food safety that follows the flow of food through a foodservice operation to eliminate or reduce the risk of foodborne hazards. In order to ensure the safest foods possible are served to children in schools, and outside of schools, it is imperative that the food safety system function properly throughout all levels of the food supply chain.
In his opening statement, Chairman Harkin expressed his outrage regarding the recent foodborne illness outbreak and the death and sickness it has caused, in addition to the economic problems. He declared that the food safety system is in dire need of reform and should focus on the need for prevention. Ranking Member Chambliss stated that the current system has failed the American people. He asserted that the flawed system of communicating with and educating the public regarding the actual products that are contaminated leads to a lack of consumer confidence in all peanut products. He stated that the solution lies in a public-private sector partnership.
Witnesses included:
Dr. Sundlof described the relationship between the epidemiological work of CDC and the FDA investigation into the Salmonella typhimurium outbreak. He discussed the timeline and other specific details of the activities of the two agencies, as well as the Minnesota Department of Health and other state health departments. Dr. Sundlof also discussed FDA and State of Georgia inspections of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant, the ongoing product recall process, and the ongoing criminal investigation. He concluded by providing recommendations to consumers and emphasizing the priority that FDA and the new Administration places on food safety.
Rear Admiral Khan described in detail the CDC activities from November 2008, when Pulse-Net identified 13 illnesses possibly related to Salmonella typhimurium, through the present. He went on to state that unfortunately, tracking an outbreak is like looking in a rear-view mirror, as the effects of incidences are not known until two to three weeks after they occur. Looking ahead, Rear Admiral Khan declared that robust cooperation among all sectors is necessary. The food industry and the local, state, and federal public health infrastructure must all be incorporated.
Ms. Meunier discussed the ordeal she went through after her son fell ill from possible Salmonella typhimurium infection. To address the shortfalls in the food safety system, she advocated for increased technology, information-sharing, a unified procedure for outbreak identification, a national food safety team, and personal responsibility of food company owners for their products. Ms. Meunier further stated her belief in the necessity of a national database, public disclosure of all plant testing records, and the opportunity for victims to discuss possible food sources for the illnesses with each other.
Prior to beginning her testimony, Ms. Smith DeWaal noted that the National Consumers Union had endorsed her testimony earlier that morning. She stated that this outbreak highlights a drastic breakdown of the system and declared the necessity of legislation to address the problem. According to Ms. Smith DeWaal, the legislation should focus on the following: prevention; holding companies accountable; increasing the number of tools available to food safety officers; requiring every food plant to have a food safety plan; setting an inspection schedule with audits for state contractors; enhancing ingredient tracing abilities; and instituting mandatory recall authority.
Mr. Hubbard declared that the FDA is using an outdated system developed over 100 years ago. He said the FDA has been unable to maintain adequate inspections while the number of plants in the United Sates has increased dramatically, and this has led to a dramatic increase in recalls. Mr. Hubbard stated that the system needs to be built on prevention, resources must be increased for FDA, and FDA must be given mandatory recall authority.
Chairman Harkin concluded the hearing by discussing President Obama’s recent statements pertaining to the FDA and his Administration’s focus on food safety. Chairman Harkin also mentioned his desire to increase resources for FDA and to close “loopholes” regarding private lab accreditation and positive contaminant test result reporting requirements for labs and plants.
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Hearing webcast and statements
SNA Peanut Butter Recall webpage
Suspect Peanuts Sent to Schools Washington Post
February 3, 2009 -- Senator Robert Casey, Jr. (D-Penn.) will give the Carl D. Perkins Memorial Lecture on Monday evening, March 2, 2009 during the Legislative Action Conference Annual Banquet. Senator Casey is a strong supporter of the child nutrition programs. Last fall, he introduced legislation that would require the reimbursement rate for the school nutrition programs to be adjusted twice a year. Senator Casey is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the committee that will play a significant role in the 2009 reauthorization of the child nutrition programs.
It’s not too late to register for LAC 2009! This year’s conference will be held March 1-4, 2009 at the J.W. Marriot Hotel in Washington, DC. LAC is considered one of the most productive and exciting events in school nutrition. Highlights of this year’s conference will include:
For additional information regarding the conference, please visit the LAC 2009 page. To follow the Reauthorization process online go to SNA's From the Kitchen to the Congress blog.
February 3, 2009 - Today SNA president Katie Wilson, PhD, SNS sent a letter to all sitting Senators in anticipation of the Senate taking up the economic recovery legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week.
The letter expressed support for funding contained in the stimulus bill that would expand the after school meal program, create a new school foodservice equipment grant program, and increase funding for food stamps, WIC and food banks. The letter goes on to call for an improvement to the stimulus bill that would assist low income children who do not have the money to purchase even a reduced price school lunch or breakfast.
SNA estimates that a million children who qualify for the reduced price school lunch program (130% of poverty to 185% of poverty) are kept out of the National School Lunch Program every school day by the 40 cent cost, and the 30 cent cost for breakfast. Many families in this income category are military families. The Military Impacted School Association (MISA) has previously sought legislation to provide free meals to all children where the family’s income falls below the income guideline in the WIC program, or 185% of poverty. SNA believes that if a family qualifies for WIC benefits for toddlers, the family should qualify for free school meals for their school age children.
To read the letter, see the link below. SNA members can also email their Senators with a similar message on the economic recovery package through the action alert link below. For more related news, check out the SNA Reauthorization Blog - From the Kitchen to the Congress.
SNA Letter to U.S. Senate
Action Alert on Stimulus
February 3, 2009 – Today SNA launched a valuable a new resource to help school nutrition operations improve efficiencies in the procurement process. SNA’s Supply Chain Toolkit: A Guide to Effective Supply Chain Management was developed by a taskforce appointed by the Association’s Board of Directors. The group was chaired by Leo Lesh, SNS, Denver Public Schools, and Patrick McCoy, SNS, of Schwan’s School Food Service, and it included several other stakeholders representing key groups (manufacturers, distributors, operators and government) in the school nutrition supply chain.
Templates and tools to promote efficiency
The online Toolkit shows operators how to establish annual purchasing goals and objectives; develop menus; determine pre-bid questions; and evaluate efficiencies. It also includes a number of customizable templates and tools.
If you are a school nutrition director who strives to take your operation to a new level—or who just wants to keep pace with increasing competition and fiscal pressures—then you have seen the supply chain landscape change dramatically in recent years. The “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way” approach simply doesn’t work in the 21st century, because supply chain dynamics have evolved—and multiplied. The Supply Chain Toolkit offers practical solutions to help you develop and maintain a supply chain strategy that results in lower financial costs. See Related Links below or visit SchoolNutrition.org and click on the “Resources” section to check out this valuable new resource.
A Guide to Effective Supply Chain Management
February 2, 2009 -- While the USDA Food and Nutrition Service released the national School Nutrition Dietary Assessment III (SNDA-III) findings in November 2007, a supplement to the February 2009 Journal of the American Dietetic Association republished the study findings this week. The SNDA-III report found that in about 90 percent of all schools nationwide, students had opportunities to select low-fat lunch options. Additionally more than 70 percent of schools studied served meals that provided nutrients students need for healthy lifestyles, including protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. In fact, National School Lunch Program participants consumed more of six key nutrients at lunch than non-participants.
While the SNDA-III report found that students often do not choose the healthy foods offered as part of school lunches, the report did not look at the lack of nutrition education provided to students in the classroom setting to help them make healthy choices in the lunchroom.
The SNDA-III findings emphasize the overwhelming need for adequate funding for the school nutrition programs. While it cost almost $3.00 to prepare a healthy school meal, federal reimbursement for each meal remains at $2.57 for the current school year. The School Nutrition Association calls on Congress to provide adequate funding for school lunches and breakfasts through the child nutrition and WIC reauthorization act scheduled to be addressed later this year.
By law, all school meals offered through the National School Lunch Program must comply with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. School nutrition programs are making efforts to offer more whole grains, less sodium and more fruits and vegetables to comply with the 2005 Guidelines while still following USDA’s current meal pattern regulations based on the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
FNS collected data for the SNDA-III study from a nationally representative sample of only 400 schools (about .4% of the 100,000 schools that participate in the NSLP.) The data collection was done during the 2004-2005 school year – prior to school nutrition programs adopting and implementing local wellness policies as required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. When the school meals of a larger number of districts are looked at, particularly the 100 largest school districts by enrollment which serve about 25% of the nation’s students, a different picture emerges. The SNA State of School Nutrition 2007 report from August 2007 (a survey of 1,200 school districts nationwide – about 8% of the total) found a majority of schools offer fat-free or low-fat milk (97%), fresh fruits and vegetables (96%), salad bars or pre-packaged salads (88%), yogurt and yogurt drinks (81%), from-scratch baked items (63%) and vegetarian meals (52%). In addition to following federal dietary guidelines, more than 87% of school districts have nutrition requirements for the foods and beverages sold by school nutrition programs outside of the National School Lunch Program, up 30% from 2005. Data was collected in spring 2007. SNA expects to release the 2009 State of School Nutrition Report this spring.
The SNA report From Cupcakes to Carrots: Local Wellness Policies One Year Later, (Sept. 2007) looked at 976 school districts and found that more than 83% of survey respondents noted increased healthful food options in the cafeteria as a result of policy implementation and almost half indicated resulting changes in the healthy choices/behavior of students. Finding affordable products that meet policy nutrition standards, acceptance by students and monitoring/oversight of the policy were the biggest implementation challenges cited. Data was collected in spring 2007.
The members of the School Nutrition Association look forward to continuing to work with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, parents, students and their local communities to prepare and serve nutritious, balanced meals every school day.
2009 SNA Legislative Issue Paper
JADA Release on SNDA-III
JADA Supplement Articles
SNDA-III Summary and Report
SNDA-III Talking Points
SNA Release State of School Nutrition Report
From Cupcakes to Carrots
February 2, 2009 – These are challenging times. From rising costs to tightening budgets, last year many businesses went from thriving to merely surviving. So how can your school nutrition operation weather the gloomy economic outlook and move forward to the future? Find solutions for navigating your way at SNA’s 63rd Annual National Conference (ANC), which will be held June 29-July 2, in Las Vegas. Nowhere else will you discover the tools and knowledge to boost your bottom line and improve your program. If you can only attend one conference this year, this is the one!
At ANC 2009, you’ll choose from more than 80 educational sessions in such key topic areas as financial management, professional skill building and nutrition to create a schedule that addresses your unique needs and interests. Of course, ANC also provides you the opportunity to network with colleagues from around the country, sample the latest and greatest school nutrition products and hear from inspiring speakers, including Robin Crow and Jeannette Walls. Finally, you will enjoy the return of many ANC favorite events, including Chapter Leadership Day, the Culinary Demonstrations and the Silent Auction, as well as this year’s Final Event, featuring those unforgettable doo-wop favorites: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.
For a sneak peek of ANC 2009, take a look inside the February issue of School Nutrition, and you will find the ANC Program Preview supplement, packed with everything you need to know about SNA’s premier school nutrition event, including the conference schedule, general session speakers, pre-conference and education descriptions, as well as the forms you will need to register. If you can’t wait for the supplement to arrive, visit the dedicated ANC 2009 section of SchoolNutrition.org and register today!
There is no gamble in attending ANC Las Vegas! After four learning-packed and networking-filled days, you will take home the best thinking in school nutrition…and for once, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas.
ANC 2009