“Offer our children healthier choices”: The growing push for school lunch reform

In 2022, The Lancet, a British peer-reviewed journal focused on global public health, reported that “Unhealthy school lunches: hunger solution or health problem?As the report shows, providing school meals is a key tool in preventing food insecurity because approximately 30 million children receive free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch in the average American school, many of whom rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition.

But while these meals meet federal nutritional standards, they tend to be simple, offering processed foods like breakfast cereal, fruit juice, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and frozen pizza along with fruits, vegetables, and cartons of milk. “In fact, the official Dietary Guidelines do not prohibit the offering of pizza or corn dogs as long as they meet the nutritional criteria (total calories, sugar, fat, and salt),” the report states.

While poor quality school lunches have been a pop culture trope and public health concern for decades, processed foods have become a hot topic in recent years as a series of new reports link a wide variety of health problems, from certain types of cancer to heart disease, to the consumption of ultra-processed foods.

There is no current data on what percentage of school lunches in the United States are processed foods, but a 2022 study in the UK found that 75% of calories Half of the food consumed in school lunches in primary and secondary schools is ultra-processed food. A recent report from Northwestern University The statistics for American lunches are likely similar, with studies showing that 73% of the U.S. food supply is ultra-processed. The reasons are many and complex, including cost concerns, logistical challenges, and severe kitchen staffing shortages.

But concerns remain, with some child nutrition experts and consumer groups raising alarms about how safe it actually is for school lunch programs to rely so heavily on processed foods.

Some even target specific foods.

For example, earlier this year, Consumer Reports called on the federal government to remove Lunchables from the National Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program after an analysis found high levels of sodium and heavy metals. As Salon’s Joy Saha reported at the time, the USDA now allows two Lunchables kits — the Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stacker and the Extra Cheese Pizza — to be served as part of the National School Lunch Program. According to Saha:

In accordance with the program’s requirements, Kraft Heinz, maker of Lunch Bulls, has enhanced the nutritional content of its Lunch Bulls kits for schools, adding more whole grains to the crackers and overall protein.

But Consumer Reports claims the Lunchable kits provided at schools contain even higher levels of sodium than kits available in stores nationwide.

“Lunch Bulls are not a healthy option for kids and should not be on the menu of the National School Lunch Program,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said at the time. “Lunch Bulls and similar lunch kits we tested contain concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals that could cause serious long-term health problems.”

Lunchables have not been recalled from school lunch programs, but since publishing its analysis in April, Consumer Reports Submit a Petition It urged the USDA to do so and received 26,964 of the desired 30,000 signatures.

“We urge the USDA to take the necessary steps to remove Lunchbulls processed food kits from the National School Lunch Program and provide healthier food options for the nation’s school children,” the petition reads. “New testing by Consumer Reports has found that store-bought Lunchbulls contain relatively high amounts of lead, cadmium, and sodium, and all but one kit (Lunchbulls Extra Cheese Pizza) contained phthalates, a plastic chemical known to be a hormone disruptor linked to reproductive problems, diabetes, and an increased risk of certain cancers.”

The statement continues: “Even small amounts of lead and cadmium can cause developmental problems in children, and regular exposure increases the risk over time. Also, excessive sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure; approximately 14 percent of children and teens have pre-hypertension or hypertension. Please take the necessary steps to ensure that these processed food kits are not included in school feeding programs and provide healthier options for your children.”

Those concerned about the quality of school lunches are trying a broader approach. In California, Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel said: California Assembly Bill (AB) 2316The bill, also known as the California School Food Safe Act, seeks to ban public schools from serving food containing six synthetic dyes: Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2 and Green No. 3. These dyes have been linked to behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and inattention in children, according to a 2021 California Environmental Protection Agency report.

These dyes, commonly found in products like Fruit Loops and M&Ms, are already subject to warning labels in the European Union. Gabriel, who drafted the bill, argues that the FDA’s outdated studies that allow these additives in school lunches don’t help protect kids, especially those with ADHD (which he and one of his children suffer from).

“California has a responsibility to protect students from chemicals that can harm children and interfere with their ability to learn,” said Governor Gabriel. Introducing the Bill“As a legislator, a parent, and someone who has suffered from ADHD, it is unacceptable that schools allow foods to be served that contain additives linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and neurobehavioral disorders. This bill will enable schools to better protect the health and well-being of children and encourage manufacturers to stop using these dangerous additives.”

The bill is scheduled for a key vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee next week. If it passes the committee on Aug. 15, it will go to the state Senate for a final vote and then head to Gov. Gavin Newsom.