Over the years the regulations on what schools can do in accordance with school lunch programs has changed. Since the school lunch/breakfast program in Carbon County School District is largely funded by the federal government, any regulations changes in what goes on in schools when it comes to nutrition must be adhered to by the district.

For many years the lunch program was provided food from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and that food was considered the right thing to serve students. But outside sales of food, such as vending machines in halls and cafeterias,  began to affect nutrition standards. In 2004 schools participating in federally funded food programs were required to shut off vending machines within the school during the lunch periods.

Then in 2010 new regulations came out that were called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Food Act. These rules regulated what could be served in school lunch and breakfasts. This was the beginning of an effort to get students to eat healthier, with foods low in fat, high in fiber and low in sugar, among other things.

This past summer the USDA issued more stringent rules, but these rules are not changing what is being served in school lunch. Often in the past fund raisers, school parties and other activities during the school day consisted of food that did not fit the profile for what federal regulators saw as teaching good eating habits. The new rule regulates what can be served in schools, in any capacity, except in a student’s own home packed lunch.

The Carbon School Board met on October 12, 2016 and within that regular board meeting adopted the new rules set forth by the USDA as district policy.

“This obviously will create a big change in how we handle food brought into the school for a variety of reasons,” said Superintendent Steve Carlsen. “It will take some getting used to.”

The rules are very specific, and many of the foods that have traditionally been used for these purposes will not be allowed. Many years ago the district banned people from bringing in home made products, due to safety concerns. This ban will still in be in place. The new rules will now restrict what is purchased from stores and other outlets too.

“People need to realize that the federal funds we get support the school lunch programs,” said Carlsen. “These new regulations needed to be adopted by the district by November 1 and at that point the State Board of Education will begin to monitor what is going on in our schools. If we didn’t adopt these new rules, the state and federal government could move to take some of our school lunch funds away. In fact, in some cases that penalty could be substantial.”

Carlsen said however that not all foods that are not approved are out of bounds at the school at all hours of the day. The new regulations say that the kinds of foods regulated by the rules cannot be served, given out or vended between the hours of midnight and up until 30 minutes after the last bell at the school rings. This makes it so after school activities, such as athletic events and other activities can still sell traditional type refreshments.

Under the standards food brought in for sale or for activities is considered “competitive food.” All competitive foods brought into the school during the school day must meet the federal nutrition guidelines, which are called “smart snack standards.”

There are some common questions people will have, particularly about fund raising activities. At fund raisers anything that meets the smart snack standard can be sold anytime. While the school can allow occasional exemptions, these exceptions will be few and far between. Anyone planning a fundraiser must work with the school administration to be sure what they are going to sell fits the standards. It’s important to remember that the standards do not apply during non-school hours, on weekends, and at off-campus fundraising events.

Since many school organizations rely on fundraisers, questions may arise as to the sale of food that is not to be consumed on the campus. For instance the sale of frozen pizza, cookie dough, thin mint cookies and other items pre-ordered and distributed in a precooked state or in bulk quantities (multiple servings in a package) for consumption at home is not required to meet the standards. An example would be boxes of pre-ordered Girl Scout cookies intended for consumption at home. These would not be subject to the standards. Students could take orders and deliver them during the school day for consumption outside of school. In addition, foods that have been purchased through a fundraiser may be delivered on the school campus during the school day if the foods being sold meet the standards or are not intended to be consumed on campus during school hours and as long as students receive permission from the school.

“This will be a work in progress to get everyone up to speed on what and what not can be sold or distributed,” said Carlsen. “I urge anyone who has questions to work with their school administration on what is and what is not appropriate.”

For further specific information on exactly what constitutes smart snacks and fits the guidelines interested parties can go to http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/allfoods_summarychart.pdf for further information.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARBON SCHOOL DISTRICT CARBON NUTRITION