United Fresh welcomes new competitive foods rule

United Fresh applauds USDA's "Smart Snacks in Schools" proposed rule which establishes nutrition standards for all of the foods and beverages sold in schools. The proposed rule emphasizes promoting the availability of healthy snack foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy and protein. This rule supports and complements the new school meal standards, helps create healthier school food environments, and makes the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation's school children.

“Increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks in schools will go a long way towards creating a healthy school food environment and improving nutrition for millions of school children,” said Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, United’s vice president of nutrition & health.”In addition, this will drive opportunities for increased produce sales to schools.”

The "Smart Snacks in Schools" proposed rule complements and supports the recent improvements to school meals and underscores United’s commitment to improving child nutrition. The landmark new school lunch regulations, which were implemented at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, doubled the amount of fruits and vegetables served every day and emphasized providing a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables each week.

United Fresh has championed healthier school food environments over the past decade. United is the lead advocate for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides a fresh fruit and vegetable snack to more than 4 million low-income elementary school children every day. The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign, of which United is a founding member, also aims to increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and has donated salad bars to more than 2,000 schools to date to achieve that goal.

United Fresh will review the proposed rule in its entirety and work with our members, nutrition advocates and other stakeholders, to submit comments within 60 days to USDA on how to strengthen the proposed rule.

For more information:
Shelby Rajkovich
United Fresh
Tel: +1 202-303-3400 ext. 417
srajkovich@unitedfresh.org