School Food and Beverage Policy

Overview

Purpose

The purpose of today’s session is to:• Provide an overview of the School Food and Beverage

Policy• Give an update on Provincial support• Outline support offered by Peel Public Health • Provide a forum for questions and answers

SECTION 1Policy Overview

Background to the Policy

• Since 2003, the government has developed a number of initiatives aimed at developing healthier learning environments for students, such as:

– Daily Physical Activity (DPA)– The Foundations for a Healthy School– Healthy School Recognition Program – Sabrina’s Law– The Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act

Background Continued…

• The Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act, 2008:

– Provides the Minister of Education with the authority to issue policies and guidelines concerning nutrition standards for food and beverages offered for sale on school premises or in connection with a school-related activity

• The Trans Fat Standards (Ontario Regulation 200/08):

– Sets out limits for trans fat in food and beverages, or ingredients uses in the preparation of food and beverages offered for sale in schools

• The School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM No. 150)

The School Food and Beverage Policy

• The School Food and Beverage Policy will apply to all:

– Publicly-funded elementary and secondary schools in Ontario

– Food and beverages offered for sale:• In all venues (e.g., cafeterias, vending machines, tuck shops)• Through all programs (e.g., catered lunch programs)• At all events (e.g., bake sales)

• The Policy does NOT apply to food and beverages:– Offered in schools to students at no cost– Brought from home or purchased off school property and not for

resale in school– Available for purchase during field trips off school premises– Sold in schools for non-school purposes (e.g., sold by an outside

organization that is using the gymnasium after school hours for a non-school-related event

– Sold for fundraising activities that occur off school premise– Sold in staff rooms

The School Food and Beverage Policy

Special-Event Days

• Special-Event Days:– The school principal may designate up to ten days (or fewer, as

determined by the school board) as special-event days on which the food and beverages offered for sale in schools would be exempt from the nutrition standards outlined in the policy

• School principals:– Must consult with the school council prior to designating a day as a

special-event day– Are encouraged to consult with their students in making these

decisions

• School boards and schools are also required to: – Comply with the Trans Fat Standards– Take into consideration the strategies developed under the board’s

policy on anaphylaxis (i.e., under Sabrina’s Law) – Practice safe food handling and storage– Ensure students have access to drinking water– Take into consideration the diversity of students and staff in order

to accommodate religious and/or cultural needs

The School Food and Beverage Policy

• School boards and schools will be encouraged to:– Choose Ontario food and beverages first (e.g., offer Ontario grown

and/or produced food and beverages when available and practical)– Be environmentally aware (e.g., reduce food waste, reuse

containers, recycle food scraps)– Avoid offering food or beverages as a reward or incentive for good

behaviour, achievement or participation

The School Food and Beverage Policy

Implementation & Monitoring

• Schools boards must be in full compliance with the School Food and Beverage Policy by September 1, 2011

• The Ministry of Education is encouraging school boards to implement the Policy as soon as possible

• School boards are responsible for implementation and monitoring

• At the end of the 2010-11 school year, schools boards will be required to attest that they will be in full compliance with the School Food and Beverage Policy on September 1, 2011

SECTION 2Nutrition Standards

Overview

Nutrition Standards

• The nutrition standards are intended to ensure that the food and beverages offered for sale in schools contribute to students’ healthy growth and development

• Where available and appropriate, the nutrition standards reflect information listed on a Nutrition Facts Table– Under federal nutrition labelling regulations, all food and beverage

products sold to consumers – with certain exemptions – are required to have a Nutrition Facts Table

– Align with Canada’s Food Guide

Nutrition Standards - Categories

The nutrition standards set out the nutrition criteria that food and beverages must meet in order to be sold in schools. All food and beverages fit into one of the following categories:

Sell Most Sell Less Not Permitted for Sale

Products in this category are the healthiest options and generally have higher

levels of essential nutrients and lower

amounts of fat, sugar, and/or sodium.

Products in this category may have slightly higher amounts of fat, sugar,

and/or sodium than food and beverages in the Sell

Most category.

Products in this category generally contain few or

no essential nutrients and/or contain high

amounts of fat, sugar, and/or sodium.

Nutrition Standards – Food Prep

• In addition to meeting the nutrient criteria in the standards, food should always be prepared in a healthy way

• That is, using cooking methods that require little or no added fat or sodium, such as baking, barbequing, boiling, broiling, grilling, microwaving, poaching, roasting, steaming or stir frying

• Food should not be deep-fried

Nutrition Standards – Sections

• The nutrition standards are divided into two sections:• Food is divided into six groups

– Vegetables and Fruit– Grain Products– Milk and Alternatives– Meat and Alternatives– Mixed Dishes– Miscellaneous Items

• Beverages are divided into two groups: – Elementary Schools– Secondary Schools

Reading the Nutrition Standards

The Categories

Food or Beverage Group

Sub-Group – groups based on products with a similar nutrient

profile

Tips – generic tips for each

group

Nutrition Criteria – specific nutrient

levels for each sub-category

Examples – common

products that may fit into the

sub-groupFootnotes – additional

explanatory notes identified in the nutrition criteria and

examples

Applying the Nutrition Standards

To determine which category a specific food or beverage fits, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Compare the total fat and trans fat amounts (in grams) on your product's Nutrition Facts table with the Trans Fat Standards. If your product does not meet the Trans Fat Standards, it is Not Permitted for Sale (do not proceed to Step 2).

STEP 2: Identify the group and sub-group in the nutrition standards that yourproduct fits into (see the A-Z Food and Beverage List).

STEP 3: Compare the relevant information on your product’s food label (i.e., the Nutrition Facts table and ingredient list) with the nutrition criteria in the nutrition standards. Your product will fit into one of the following categories: Sell Most, Sell Less, or Not Permitted for Sale.

The 80/20 Rule

Once you have determined which category your product fits into, you will need to ensure that the products offered for sale in all venues, through all programs, and at all events, meet the 80/20 rule.

When assessing the food and beverages choices offered for sale, remember:• All food choices are assessed together• All beverage choices are assessed together• Food choices are assessed separately from beverage choices

STEP 4: Assess each venue, program, and event to determine if the food and beverages offered for sale meet the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 Rule

Products in this category must make up at least 80 %

of all food choices and all beverage choices that are

available for sale in all venues, through all

programs, and at all events.

Sell MostSell Most Sell LessSell Less Not Permitted Not Permitted for for SaleSale

Products in this category must make up no more than 20 % of all food choices and all beverage choices that are

available for sale in all venues, through all

programs, and at all events.

Food and beverages in this category must not be sold

in schools.

≥80% ≤20% 0%

Choices

A choice is a specific type of food or beverage that is offered for sale. • A bran muffin is one food choice and a banana muffin is another food

choice• An apple is one food choice and an orange is another food choice• A Red Delicious apple is one food choice and a McIntosh apple is another

food choice. • A plain 1% milk is one beverage choice and a 1% chocolate milk is

another beverage choice• 100% orange juice is one beverage choice and 100% apple juice is

another beverage choice. However, five granola bars of the same variety and brand are not considered

five food choices. They would be considered one food choice for the purposes of calculating the 80/20 rule.

SECTION 3Provincial Resources

Ministry of Education - Resources

• The Ministry trained a core group of individuals from every school board across Ontario during January/February 2010

• The Ministry has developed print resources (i.e., a detailed resource guide and quick reference guide) and online resources (i.e., e-learning modules, a nutrition standards calculator and templates to support the resource guide)

• The Ministry has provided funding to school boards to complete some training before June 30, 2010

• Additional funding will be made available in 2010/11

Nutrition Resource Centre- Resources

• Has developed two resources to support the policy:

– Bake Sale Bites: a recipe book containing recipes for Sell Most Baked Goods. Could be used for fundraising purposes (e.g., bake sales) and within secondary school hospitality courses and programs.

– SFBP At-A-Glance: provides an overview of the policy

– Available online at www.nutritionrc.ca

SECTION 4Support from

Peel Public Health

Peel Public Health - Support

• Peel Health is committed to assisting the schools, school boards and food service providers in Peel to implement the Policy by:

– Taking the lead role in providing training– Being active members on the school board implementation committees– Providing on-going support via the Contact Centre and online resources – Developing tools and resources to support all schools with implementation– Supporting pilot schools during the 2010/11 school year

Peel Public Health Nurses

• Public Health Nurses at Peel Health can support you by providing:

– Staff consultations– Supporting your school councils – Training to student groups– Displays and presence at health fairs– Presentations and workshops

• For more information, call Peel Heath at 905-799-7700, Caledon residents call Peel Health at 905-584-2216

Additional Resources

• Peel Public Health:www.schoolhealth101.caContact Centre Tel.: 905-799-7700 (If in Caledon, call: 905-584-2216)

• EatRight Ontario: www.eatrightontario.ca; Tel.: 1-877-510-510-2

• Ministry of Education (School Food and Beverage Policy): www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/faqs.html

SECTION 5Questions?