School Beverage, Snack, and Meal Agreements

.In 2006, as a complement to our beverage calories initiative Healthier Generation negotiated a voluntary agreement that addressed the nutritional content of competitive foods sold in schools, including snack foods and side items offered outside of the reimbursable meal program -- such as products sold in vending machines, school stores, snack carts, á la carte lines, and in-school fundraising.

Participating food manufacturers within the snack food industry focused on promoting consumption of fruit, vegetables, nutrient-rich foods, and fat-free and low-fat dairy products, while limiting calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and sodium, in advance of passage of the 2010 USDA Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and Smart Snacks in School standards.

In 2011, fourteen leading food manufacturers, group purchasing organizations, and technology companies agreed to help America's schools serve healthier meals at affordable prices. As a result, total sales of healthier, standards-compliant products to participating schools increased by $130 million, or 71 percent, between the 2010-11 and 2012-13 school years.