Policy/Program Memorandum No. 135

Date of Issue:	October 20, 2004
Effective:	Until revoked or modified
Subject:	HEALTHY FOODS AND BEVERAGES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VENDING MACHINES
Application:	Directors of Education Supervisory Officers and Secretary-Treasurers of School Authorities Principals of Elementary Schools

Introduction

The Ontario government is committed to supporting a healthy school environment. Good nutrition is essential for the proper growth and development of children, and is likely to have a beneficial effect on their learning ability. It also plays a significant role in the prevention of obesity and such chronic diseases as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The purpose of this memorandum is to set out clear, recommended standards for school boards,¹ in response to request for direction, regarding the sale of foods and beverages through vending machines in elementary schools.² It is in the interests of Ontario children that they be encouraged to choose foods and beverages that are necessary for proper growth, and to develop healthy eating habits that can be maintained throughout their lives. School boards should ensure that any food and beverage items that are available for sale in their elementary schools are healthy and nutritious.

Role of School Boards Regarding Foods and Beverages in Vending Machines

Effective immediately, school boards should restrict the sale of all food and beverage items in elementary school vending machines to those that are healthy and nutritious, in accordance with the recommended standards set out in this memorandum. Boards should work with their vending-machine providers to achieve the recommended standards in elementary schools as soon as possible. Only foods and beverages that contribute to the nutritional well-being of students should be dispensed through school vending machines. Boards should review all current contracts with vending-machine providers, and ensure that all future contracts with vending-machine providers comply with the provisions in this memorandum.

Required School Board Reports

In accordance with paragraph 27.1 of subsection 8(1) of the Education Act, school boards are required to report to their district office of the Ministry of Education on their progress in achieving the recommended standards in the selection of foods and beverages sold through vending machines in their elementary schools.

The form to be used for the report will be distributed to school boards shortly through their district office.

School boards are required to submit their completed report to the ministry through their district office no later than January 14, 2005. Boards are also required to make their report available to their school community through their school councils and to place it on their public website.

Rationale for Recommending Standards for Foods and Beverages

Having standards for foods and beverages sold in elementary school vending machines is an important first step in promoting a healthy school community. It helps ensure that healthy food and beverage choices are available for Ontario's students, and reinforces the messages delivered to children through The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 to 8: Health and Physical Education, 1998.

Given the amount of time that children spend in school, the school environment can profoundly influence students' attitudes, preferences, and behaviours. The school plays a critical role in helping students to learn about proper nutrition and to develop good eating habits, and thus offers an opportunity for children to be exposed to a variety of healthy foods and beverages. Since "well-nourished children ... are more likely to be better prepared to learn, be active, and maintain their health as adults",³ the development of good eating habits at a young age should be encouraged not only because it may have a beneficial effect on children's performance in school but also because it may help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as adults.

A recent report produced by Dietitians of Canada for the ministry, which accompanies this memorandum, expresses concern, however, about the trend towards poor eating habits. It draws upon various studies of children's eating patterns, and points out, for example, that the poor eating habits of many children (e.g., eating too much and eating nutritionally inadequate foods) have resulted in an increase in childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, and that the combination of physical inactivity and poor eating habits in the pre-teen years has resulted in a dramatic increase in childhood obesity in Canada over the past twenty years.⁴ It also expresses concern that the poor eating behaviours established in childhood are likely to continue into adulthood, increasing the risk that people will develop such serious diseases as cancer and cardiovascular disease. A study by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada indicates that many children between the ages of nine and twelve already have lifestyle habits that could increase the risk of their developing cardiovascular disease, as adults, even in their thirties.⁵

Research also indicates that, since many children do not consume nutritionally balanced or adequate diets, they have low intakes of many of the foods recommended in the four food groups of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. In general, children in elementary school grades are consuming fewer servings of fruits, vegetables, and milk products than are required.

The availability of foods and beverages with a higher fat and/or sugar content, such as chips, chocolate bars, candy, and soft drinks, has been identified as a major challenge in promoting healthy eating habits among school-age children. Students who have not had breakfast and/or who have not taken a lunch to school may buy food from vending machines. As Dietitians of Canada concludes in its report, when nutritionally inadequate foods are available and promoted at school every day, even along with healthier foods, it becomes increasingly difficult for students to have a healthy diet. Studies show that it is more effective to offer only healthy foods and beverages so that students do not have to make choices between nutritious and nutritionally inadequate foods and beverages.

As the research suggests, these findings have implications for the overall health and well-being of Ontario's children. Elementary schools have an important role in helping students lead healthier lives.

Recommended Standards for Foods and Beverages

Dietitians of Canada has examined the nutritional content of foods and beverages currently available in elementary school vending machines across Ontario. Various foods and beverages are currently available in these vending machines, and the dietitians have found that some of these are nutritious, and are thus recommended for elementary school students, and that some are not.

Among the beverages currently available in elementary school vending machines, lower-fat and non-fat milk and 100 per cent fruit juice were recommended as healthy choices that provide good sources of essential nutrients. Water was also a recommended choice. Soft drinks, fruit drinks, and sport drinks were not recommended as healthy choices.

Among the foods that are currently available in elementary school vending machines, foods such as fruit and fruit cups were recommended as healthy choices that provide good nutrition. Foods such as chips, chocolate bars, candy, cakes, doughnuts, and pastries were not recommended as healthy choices, owing to their lack of nutritional value and/or high caloric value. It was also suggested that such foods as granola bars, crackers, cookies, popcorn, and pretzels might be considered appropriate, depending on their specific ingredients and nutritional value. It is strongly recommended that foods containing peanuts or other nuts not be made available in schools, since some students may have life-threatening allergies to nuts.

For more information on the Dietitians of Canada's review of the foods and beverages found in elementary school vending machines, please see the second report that accompanies this memorandum.⁶

In Appendix 1, charts are provided that outline the recommended standards for foods and beverages in elementary school vending machines. These recommendations are adapted from the Dietitians of Canada's second report mentioned above, and are consistent with the direction provided in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

In Appendix 2, the criteria used by Dietitians of Canada to evaluate various foods and beverages are provided. Foods and beverages that meet these criteria are recommended for inclusion in elementary school vending machines. Boards are strongly encouraged to use these criteria in selecting foods and beverages for vending machines.

Appendix 1: Recommended Standards for Foods and Beverages Sold in Elementary School Vending Machines

Appendix 2: Criteria for Evaluating the Nutritional Value of Foods and Beverages

Fat

low fat – 3 g or less
low in saturated fat – 2 g or less of saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids combined, and 15% or less energy from saturated fatty acids plus trans fatty acids

Calcium

source of calcium – 5% or more of the recommended daily intake¹³ (55 mg or more of calcium)
good source of calcium – 15% or more of the recommended daily intake (165 mg or more of calcium)
excellent source of calcium – 25% or more of the recommended daily intake (275 mg or more of calcium)

Vitamins and Minerals

good source of vitamin C – 30% or more of the recommended daily intake (18 mg or more)
good source of vitamin A – 15% or more of the recommended daily intake (150 RE or more)
good source of folacin – 15% or more of the recommended daily intake (33 mcg or more)
source of B vitamins – 5% or more of the recommended daily intake of thiamine (0.07 mg or more), riboflavin (0.08 mg or more), niacin (1.15 NE or more), vitamin B6 (0.09 mg or more)
excellent source of vitamin D – 25% or more of the recommended daily intake (1.25 mcg)
source of iron – 5% or more of the recommended daily intake (0.7 mg or more)

Fibre

source of fibre – 2 g or more
good source of fibre – 4 g or more

Sodium

480 mg or less sodium¹⁴

1. In this document, school board(s) and board(s) refer to district school boards and school authorities.

2. Elementary school(s) refers to publicly funded schools that have students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8.

3. Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health, School Nutrition Workgroup Steering Committee, Call to Action: Creating a Healthy Eating Environment, 2004, p.1; quoted in: Dietitians of Canada, "School Food and Nutrition Recommendations for Ontario Ministry of Education Regarding Snacks and Beverages Dispensed by Vending Machines" (Toronto: Dietitians of Canada, 2004), p.1.

4. Dietitians of Canada, "School Food and Nutrition Recommendations for Ontario Ministry of Education Regarding Snacks and Beverages Dispensed by Vending Machines", pp. 8-9.

5. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, "Report Card on Health - Tweens Could Be Headed for Trouble" (2002); cited in: Dietitians of Canada, "School Food and Nutrition Recommendations for Ontario Ministry of Education Regarding Snacks and Beverages Dispensed by Vending Machines", p. 9.

6. Dietitians of Canada, "Recommendations for School Food and Nutrition for Ontario Ministry of Education" (Toronto: Dietitians of Canada, 2004).
7. Criteria are based on the nutrient content claims in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising (Ottawa: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2003).

8. Serving sizes are based on information in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and the Dietary Reference Intakes given in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising.

9. Trans fat is created when an unsaturated fat is processed or hydrogenated. Trans fat raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fat is found in many crackers, cookies, and commercially baked products

10. Criteria are based on nutrient content claims in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising (Ottawa: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2003).

11. Serving sizes are based on information in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and the Dietary Reference Intakes given in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising.

12. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating - Focus on Children Six to Twelve Years, Background for Educators and Communicators (Ottawa: Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1997), p.12.

13. "Recommended daily intake" means the same as "daily value", which is the term often used on food labels.

14. Recommendation is based on the heart health claim in: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising (2003), Table 8-1, Summary Table of Diet-Related Health Claims.