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N.J. bans soda, candy sales during school hours
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
By KATHLEEN CARROLL
STAFF WRITER
No more candy. No more soda. And lots of attention to things like trans fats.
New Jersey became the first state to announce a ban on soda and candy sales on campus during school hours, under regulations announced by acting Governor Codey on Monday. When the rules take effect in September 2007, other no-nos will include foods loaded with sugar or margarine, and oversize containers of whole milk.
"We've always prohibited carbonated beverages until the end of the last lunch period," said Kathy Kuser, director of the Division of Food and Nutrition at the state Department of Agriculture, which wrote the regulations. "This extends it to the entire academic school day."
More than one-third of all New Jersey students are overweight or obese, according to a 2004 state study.
"Schools must be a place where we teach good nutrition and lay the foundation for good eating habits," Codey said in a statement. "We will make our schools a national leader."
As the news spread across North Jersey high schools, students wondered aloud how they would survive a long school day without buying turbocharged snacks such as chocolate and cola.
"It's going to be a culture shock," said Tim Shine, 14, of River Vale, a freshman at the Bergen County Academy for Business and Finance in Hackensack.
"It's too idealistic a plan," said his classmate Janet Kim, 16, of Demarest. "People will just bring candy from home."
Outside Wayne Valley High School, students said the ban would have little effect on their eating habits.
"Kids will start cutting school and going across the street to get it there," said sophomore Marc Ficarra.
Under the Model School Nutrition Policy regulations, elementary school students can buy water, low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices. The regulations are looser at middle and high schools, where some sports drinks are allowed. In all cases, bottles must contain 12 ounces or less - except for water.
Under the rules, students may bring any food or drink to school, and teachers may still purchase soda and candy in the faculty lounge. But the ban on sales extends from the cafeteria to the school store, vending machines and on-campus fund-raising activities - so no more candy fund-raisers during school.
The American Beverage Association, a soft-drink industry group in Washington, criticized the statewide move.
"These decisions should be made at the local level, not in Trenton," the group said in a statement provided by spokeswoman Tracey Halliday. "The beverage industry already provides a wide variety of beverage choices to schools, including bottled water, juice, juice drinks, sports drinks, zero- to mid-calorie soft drinks, teas and dairy-based beverages."
Students gradually are making healthier snack choices, said Mark Vidovich, president of Pomptonian Food Services in Fairfield, which manages school cafeterias for 28 districts throughout Bergen and Passaic counties. He said the regulations had been expected; in anticipation, his company has phased out many fried items and most candy bars.
"Local Boards of Education and parents have been interested in making nutritional improvements all along," he said.
Federal regulations on school lunches impose strict nutrition requirements in meals but leave snacks sold in vending machines and the school store virtually unregulated, said Joy Johanson, a senior policy associate at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a public health advocacy group based in Washington.
"We applaud the governor of New Jersey for taking this strong step," she said. "It's important that schools support parents' efforts to feed their children well."
Boards of education have allowed vending machines in public schools over the past decade, in part to raise funds. But many parents already have demanded they swap out the sweets for healthier fare.
Jeff Fischer, who serves on the Board of Education in Haledon and at Manchester Regional High School, said the new regulations probably wouldn't hurt finances in those districts - particularly because soda vending machines at the high school already are turned off during the school day.
"I don't see this as a big deal," he said. "On the cart at the grammar school [in Haledon], we took out all of the sugary items. Now it's just mostly [energy bars] and pretzels. All of the candy is out."
Legislators in New Jersey also have been debating limits on junk food in public schools. The state Assembly has passed a bill mandating that healthful snacks be sold in vending machines during school hours, and limiting sales of foods with "minimal nutritional value" until the last half-hour before the end of classes. The Senate version was released from the health committee last month.
"Children are clearly eating too much of the wrong thing, and it is affecting them in the wrong ways," said Assemblyman Herb Conaway, a Burlington County Democrat and physician who co-sponsored the bill. "The regulations and the bill support each other."
The new regulations require that schools have weekly classes on nutrition, in line with the state's 2004 Core Curriculum Content Standards. Carol Adelson, a Woodcliff Lake nutritionist who gives presentations on healthy eating in area schools, said students are shocked when she shows them a beaker full of sugar, and explains that it matches the amount in a can of soda.
"This should have been done so long ago," she said. "Where is there a better role model than in school? Seeing [junk food] in school, then they assume it's OK to eat it at home. This is sending such a powerful message if you give only healthy foods."
Staff Writers Robert Ratish and Catherine Holahan contributed to this article. |E-mail: [email protected]
N.J. bans soda, candy sales during school hours
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
By KATHLEEN CARROLL
STAFF WRITER
No more candy. No more soda. And lots of attention to things like trans fats.
New Jersey became the first state to announce a ban on soda and candy sales on campus during school hours, under regulations announced by acting Governor Codey on Monday. When the rules take effect in September 2007, other no-nos will include foods loaded with sugar or margarine, and oversize containers of whole milk.
"We've always prohibited carbonated beverages until the end of the last lunch period," said Kathy Kuser, director of the Division of Food and Nutrition at the state Department of Agriculture, which wrote the regulations. "This extends it to the entire academic school day."
More than one-third of all New Jersey students are overweight or obese, according to a 2004 state study.
"Schools must be a place where we teach good nutrition and lay the foundation for good eating habits," Codey said in a statement. "We will make our schools a national leader."
As the news spread across North Jersey high schools, students wondered aloud how they would survive a long school day without buying turbocharged snacks such as chocolate and cola.
"It's going to be a culture shock," said Tim Shine, 14, of River Vale, a freshman at the Bergen County Academy for Business and Finance in Hackensack.
"It's too idealistic a plan," said his classmate Janet Kim, 16, of Demarest. "People will just bring candy from home."
Outside Wayne Valley High School, students said the ban would have little effect on their eating habits.
"Kids will start cutting school and going across the street to get it there," said sophomore Marc Ficarra.
Under the Model School Nutrition Policy regulations, elementary school students can buy water, low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices. The regulations are looser at middle and high schools, where some sports drinks are allowed. In all cases, bottles must contain 12 ounces or less - except for water.
Under the rules, students may bring any food or drink to school, and teachers may still purchase soda and candy in the faculty lounge. But the ban on sales extends from the cafeteria to the school store, vending machines and on-campus fund-raising activities - so no more candy fund-raisers during school.
The American Beverage Association, a soft-drink industry group in Washington, criticized the statewide move.
"These decisions should be made at the local level, not in Trenton," the group said in a statement provided by spokeswoman Tracey Halliday. "The beverage industry already provides a wide variety of beverage choices to schools, including bottled water, juice, juice drinks, sports drinks, zero- to mid-calorie soft drinks, teas and dairy-based beverages."
Students gradually are making healthier snack choices, said Mark Vidovich, president of Pomptonian Food Services in Fairfield, which manages school cafeterias for 28 districts throughout Bergen and Passaic counties. He said the regulations had been expected; in anticipation, his company has phased out many fried items and most candy bars.
"Local Boards of Education and parents have been interested in making nutritional improvements all along," he said.
Federal regulations on school lunches impose strict nutrition requirements in meals but leave snacks sold in vending machines and the school store virtually unregulated, said Joy Johanson, a senior policy associate at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a public health advocacy group based in Washington.
"We applaud the governor of New Jersey for taking this strong step," she said. "It's important that schools support parents' efforts to feed their children well."
Boards of education have allowed vending machines in public schools over the past decade, in part to raise funds. But many parents already have demanded they swap out the sweets for healthier fare.
Jeff Fischer, who serves on the Board of Education in Haledon and at Manchester Regional High School, said the new regulations probably wouldn't hurt finances in those districts - particularly because soda vending machines at the high school already are turned off during the school day.
"I don't see this as a big deal," he said. "On the cart at the grammar school [in Haledon], we took out all of the sugary items. Now it's just mostly [energy bars] and pretzels. All of the candy is out."
Legislators in New Jersey also have been debating limits on junk food in public schools. The state Assembly has passed a bill mandating that healthful snacks be sold in vending machines during school hours, and limiting sales of foods with "minimal nutritional value" until the last half-hour before the end of classes. The Senate version was released from the health committee last month.
"Children are clearly eating too much of the wrong thing, and it is affecting them in the wrong ways," said Assemblyman Herb Conaway, a Burlington County Democrat and physician who co-sponsored the bill. "The regulations and the bill support each other."
The new regulations require that schools have weekly classes on nutrition, in line with the state's 2004 Core Curriculum Content Standards. Carol Adelson, a Woodcliff Lake nutritionist who gives presentations on healthy eating in area schools, said students are shocked when she shows them a beaker full of sugar, and explains that it matches the amount in a can of soda.
"This should have been done so long ago," she said. "Where is there a better role model than in school? Seeing [junk food] in school, then they assume it's OK to eat it at home. This is sending such a powerful message if you give only healthy foods."
Staff Writers Robert Ratish and Catherine Holahan contributed to this article. |E-mail: [email protected]
