The Death of the School Vending Machine

Note to My Readers

As a child, I attended a very small school with about 300 students in the kindergarten to eighth grade classes. We had limited access to high calorie snacks and sodas; there were no vending machines on campus and no fast food restaurants in the entire town. I feel very fortunate to have had an experience that supported my health as a young child.

Many students today have a much different environment than the one I grew up in. Young people are faced with the daily challenge of avoiding soft drinks, chips, cookies, and fast food at home, in their community, and on school campuses.

Today I discuss the vending machine debate, changes in the school environment, and what impacts the Obama administrations’ Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 have made in schools. Please leave a comment after the references section.

The Controversy

The Obama administration began a nutritional standard campaign in 2010 that spurred backlash from food companies and schools hoping to keep school food decisions localized (Nixon, 2012). It is no surprise that the food industry was worried. A study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences estimated $2.3 Billion worth of snacks and drinks are sold in schools each year (Nixon, 2012). School districts were concerned about budgeting the cafeteria because the snack regulations would have an impact on sales (Bui, 2013). Republicans in Congress argued that the government shouldn’t be telling kids what to eat (Richards, 2013).

The “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010” aimed to combat childhood obesity through several improvements in school nutrition including nutrient requirements for school lunches, food sold on campus, and increased funding for nutrition education programs. Proponents of the bill emphasized the growing obesity epidemic in America and lack of nutritious options in schools.

A study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that the amount of high-fat foods available in schools throughout the country followed a pattern. In states with the highest obesity rates, there were more junk foods available and in states with lower obesity rates, there were less of these types of foods on campus (Nixon, 2012). Supporters also stated that children’s health should not be up for sale by the food industry or bottom line of school cafeterias.

In 2014, the new healthier guidelines went into effect with unexpected controversy arising from a hashtag on Twitter: #ThanksMichelleObama. Images were tagged that showed school lunches from all over the country with little more than a piece of fruit and mushy looking entree. A popular yet unrepeatable website, BuzzFeed, posted a collection of the photos posted by students. The photo to the left was captioned "the former first lady's let them eat nothing legacy" and the image on the right read "the apple definitely made up for the mystery mush" both are from student Twitter users.

The USDA responded to the article and defended the current guidelines stating that the images do not fully represent choices available for students. A spokesperson clarified that full servings of fruits, vegetables, and protein options are required in the guidelines. Congress passed the standards to improve childhood obesity and ensure nutritious options at school (Zarrell, 2014). The USDA based the recommendations on independent, expert recommendations from the Institute of Medicine to guarantee adequate nutrition, limit bias, and improve health outcomes (USDA, 2017).

The Facts

A 2010 study found that of 563 schools assessed, 93% of high schools, 84% of middle schools, and 30% of elementary schools had vending machines (Kubik, Wall, Shen, Nanney, Nelson, Laska, Story, 2010). Policies were found to affect the type of foods found in vending machines as well. When a policy limited the amount of high calorie foods, only 13% of options were low in nutrient density, high in fat, and high in sugar. When the school was left to decide the options, 37% of items were junk foods.

The Journal of School Health published a 2011 study of vending machines in 106 schools in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. A total of 116 schools were polled, with 106 containing vending machines. Researchers found that less than 5% of items sold met the criteria suggested by the Institute of Medicine for snacks and beverages sold besides the cafeteria meal plan (Pasch, Lytle, Samuelson, Farbakhsh, Kubik, Patnode, 2011). A 2012 study showed that vending machine contents were related to negative and positive diet influences depending what was available for purchase and schools have a unique opportunity to provide healthful options (Rovner, Nansel, Wang, Lannotti, 2012). The new snack regulations were a no-brainer from a public health stand point.

Since the 2014-2015 school year, all foods available during the school day must meet national nutrition standards. The Smart Snack Standards require all snack foods be less than 200 calories, free of trans fats, less than 200 mg of sodium, and specific limits for sugar and fat. Beverages were also overhauled with the following items allowed (USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 2017):

• Plain water (carbonated or uncarbonated)

• Unflavored low-fat milk

• Flavored or unflavored non-fat milk (and milk alternatives)

• 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, full-strength juice diluted with water, carbonated or non-carbonated, with no added sweeteners

Portion sizes of drinks are limited based on age of the school children. Elementary schools can sell up to 8 oz. servings of allowable milk and juice beverages, middle and high schools can sell up to 12 oz. portion sizes. In high schools, largest container size is limited to 12 oz. for lower calorie beverages and 20 oz. for zero calorie beverages. The beverage standards also allow the sale of caffeinated beverages to high school students stating that independence and self-regulation play a larger part in this life stage.

We are now on the cutting edge of how these guidelines are affecting the school food environment. A study of Massachusetts schools reviewed financial data collected from 2011 to 2014 following the newly implemented guidelines. The initial year saw a decrease in revenue, but by the second-year school lunch participation had increased and sales improved (Cohen, Gorski, Hoffman, 2016). When the competitive items were removed, students choose the healthier school lunch items available in the cafeteria. Although there are limited numbers of studies now, the research looks promising. The next few years will be a huge area of research and the effects of removing unhealthy options in schools.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA), a lobbying group with donors such as General Mills, are hoping to revert some of the changes made with the 2010 guidelines. The group claims “overly prescriptive rules have resulted in unintended consequences, including reduced student lunch participation, higher costs and food waste” (School Nutrition Association, 2017). They specifically target the whole grain and sodium requirements. Currently, all grains served must be whole grain rich and the sodium limit is 2 grams per meal. The group is promoting that half of grains be required to be whole grain rich and reassessment of the sodium requirement to allow for nutritious choices like soups, entrée salads, and low-fat deli sandwiches. They claim 60% of school nutrition directors faced challenges meeting the new guidelines citing a report from the Pew Charitable Trust (School Nutrition Association, 2017).

The Take Home

The USDA published a Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act School Meals Implementation fact sheet in June 2017 with research conducted by Harvard University (USDA, 2017).

Young people are eating more fruits and vegetables because of the new guidelines. A recent Harvard study concluded that children are now eating 16% more veggies and 23% more fruit at lunch (USDA, 2017).

Over 90% of schools report that they are successfully meeting the nutrition standards (USDA, 2017). Students across the country have access to a healthier school environment with more nutritious options. The new meals are providing children more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dairy, as well as less sugar, fat, and sodium.

School lunch revenue has increased despite concerns raised about the impact of new standards on participation and costs. A USDA analysis found that in the first year of implementing updated meal patterns, schools saw a nationwide increase in revenue from school lunches of approximately $200 million (USDA, 2017).

Healthy food standards have not increased food waste. While reducing plate waste at schools, homes and workplaces continues to be a priority for USDA. A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that new school meal standards did not result in increased food waste.

The USDA will continue to publish research showing the impacts of the updated guidelines on student’s health. As I discussed in the obesity blog, schools are an imperative component towards creating a thoughtful nutritional environment to support children’s health. Although the vending machine itself was not mandated to be removed, the updated guidelines have put restrictions on what types of products can be sold in them. With the new recommendations, availability of junk foods in vending machines will continue to plummet and we should see an increase in health measures for school age children.

References

Bui, Lynh. 2013. Parents, food service directors debate snacks sneaking into kids’ diets at school. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/parents-food-service-directors-debate-snacks-sneaking-into-kids-diets-at-school/2013/04/14/37de3654-8ff5-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239_story.html?utm_term=.6d87c2ae486c.

Cohen, Gorski, Hoffman. 2016. Healthier Standards for School Meals and Snacks: Impact on School Food Revenues and Lunch Participation Rates. http://healthyeatingresearch.org/research/healthier-standards-for-school-meals-and-snacks-impact-on-school-food-revenues-and-lunch-participation-rates/.

Kubik, Wall, Shen, Nanney, Nelson, Laska, Story, 2010). State but not District Nutrition Policies Are Associated with Less Junk Food in Vending Machines and School Stores in US Public Schools. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002822310003895.

Nixon, Ron. 2012. New Guidelines Planned on School Vending Machines. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/us/politics/new-rules-planned-on-school-vending-machines.html

Pasch, Lytle, Samuelson, Farbakhsh, Kubik, Patnode, 2011. Are School Vending Machines Loaded With Calories and Fat: An Assessment of 106 Middle and High Schools. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00581.x/full.

Richards, Paul. 2013. New USDA rules would remove junk food from school vending machines. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-usda-rules-would-remove-junk-food-from-school-vending-machines/.

Rovner, Nansel, Wang, Lannotti. 2012. Foods Sold in School Vending Machines are Associated with Overall Student Dietary Intake. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3011970/.

School Nutrition Association. 2017. Federal Nutrition Standards Provide Schools Practical Flexibility for Healthy Menu Planning. https://schoolnutrition.org/uploadedFiles/Legislation_and_Policy/SNA_Policy_Resources/Flexibility-Fact-Sheet.pdf.

USDA. 2017. FACT SHEET: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act School Meals Implementation. USDA Office of Communications. https://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2014/009814

USDA Food and Nutrition Service. 2017. School Meals. Tools for Schools: Focusing on Smart Snacks. https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks.

Zarell, Rachel. November 2014. Students disgruntled with their school lunch options have taken to social media to tweet pictures of their unappetizing-looking food under the hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/teens-are-sarcastically-tweeting-thanksmichelleobama-with-th?utm_term=.sbQ7nn96V#.lw0aXXALl.

Image Credit: Twitter 2017. https://twitter.com/hashtag/thanksmichelleobama?lang=en.