Produce industry to play role in child nutrition reauthorization
Produce industry to play role in child nutrition reauthorization
WASHINGTON -- By later this fall, 1 million kids will be eating fresh fruits and vegetables in schools as a popular snack program is expanded nationwide.
"If you're a wholesaler, you should know about this program," said Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for the United Fresh Produce Association, here. "This is a huge business opportunity for wholesalers and even retailers."
Thousands of schools that cater to the neediest kids will divvy up $49 million this year under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's newly expanded Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program.
Ms. DiSogra, a former USDA official, joined other produce industry representatives in lobbying for a bigger piece of federal nutrition programs during the 2008 farm bill.
Earlier this year, kids in 14 states reached for produce under a now- expanded program that translates into healthy, low-fat snacks, exposes children to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and boosts produce sales.
Starting in October, though, schools in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will be able to participate in the popular program, which is expected to balloon to $150 million and feed 3 million kids by 2011.
"Fresh produce for children at school gives them an early start on healthy eating habits that can stay with them after school and throughout their lives," Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Aug. 6 when he announced the new program.
"It's permanent, national and the money gets bigger each year," said Ms. DiSogra, referring to the five-year, $500 million snack program.
But now all eyes are on next year's reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which authorizes federally financed school breakfast and lunch programs that serve 30 million children each day. "I view this piece of legislation as very significant for our industry and one that will make a huge difference for the kids," said Ms. DiSogra.
Right now, kids get a lot of canned and frozen foods in the school lunch program, with as little as 3 percent composed of fresh foods. School meals have not been in compliance the federal dietary guidelines for 13 years, said Ms. DiSogra.
If schools adhered to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, then kids would receive one more serving of fresh fruit at breakfast, which amounts to 10 million servings a year. Millions of kids should also receive a few more servings at lunch to comply with the new guidelines.
Those additional servings will cost the government a lot of money, but Ms. DiSogra stopped short of estimating just how much more it would cost as the industry ramps up its lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill.
"I don't think the produce industry has been engaged in this conversation before," she said.
According to Ms. DiSogra, United Fresh wants healthy foods that kids will eat, and studies show that salad bars in schools are popular with the kids. The only problem is that some schools cannot afford salad bar equipment and the additional refrigeration space, which could be remedied through grants to schools.
Kids also want fresh-cut products, such as sliced apples and carrots, but a pilot program for distributing sliced apples developed by the USDA has been delayed.
A spokesman for the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service said that the agency is still working with schools and vendors to iron out the specifications, such as the size of the apples and number of slices in a bag. It is unclear just when the pilot program will get off the ground.
"Getting sliced apples into schools will be a huge benefit for kids and for our industry," said Ms. DiSogra. "We see the pilot expanding nationally and to all fresh-cut [items]."
"If you're a wholesaler, you should know about this program," said Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for the United Fresh Produce Association, here. "This is a huge business opportunity for wholesalers and even retailers."
Thousands of schools that cater to the neediest kids will divvy up $49 million this year under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's newly expanded Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program.
Ms. DiSogra, a former USDA official, joined other produce industry representatives in lobbying for a bigger piece of federal nutrition programs during the 2008 farm bill.
Earlier this year, kids in 14 states reached for produce under a now- expanded program that translates into healthy, low-fat snacks, exposes children to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and boosts produce sales.
Starting in October, though, schools in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will be able to participate in the popular program, which is expected to balloon to $150 million and feed 3 million kids by 2011.
"Fresh produce for children at school gives them an early start on healthy eating habits that can stay with them after school and throughout their lives," Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Aug. 6 when he announced the new program.
"It's permanent, national and the money gets bigger each year," said Ms. DiSogra, referring to the five-year, $500 million snack program.
But now all eyes are on next year's reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which authorizes federally financed school breakfast and lunch programs that serve 30 million children each day. "I view this piece of legislation as very significant for our industry and one that will make a huge difference for the kids," said Ms. DiSogra.
Right now, kids get a lot of canned and frozen foods in the school lunch program, with as little as 3 percent composed of fresh foods. School meals have not been in compliance the federal dietary guidelines for 13 years, said Ms. DiSogra.
If schools adhered to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, then kids would receive one more serving of fresh fruit at breakfast, which amounts to 10 million servings a year. Millions of kids should also receive a few more servings at lunch to comply with the new guidelines.
Those additional servings will cost the government a lot of money, but Ms. DiSogra stopped short of estimating just how much more it would cost as the industry ramps up its lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill.
"I don't think the produce industry has been engaged in this conversation before," she said.
According to Ms. DiSogra, United Fresh wants healthy foods that kids will eat, and studies show that salad bars in schools are popular with the kids. The only problem is that some schools cannot afford salad bar equipment and the additional refrigeration space, which could be remedied through grants to schools.
Kids also want fresh-cut products, such as sliced apples and carrots, but a pilot program for distributing sliced apples developed by the USDA has been delayed.
A spokesman for the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service said that the agency is still working with schools and vendors to iron out the specifications, such as the size of the apples and number of slices in a bag. It is unclear just when the pilot program will get off the ground.
"Getting sliced apples into schools will be a huge benefit for kids and for our industry," said Ms. DiSogra. "We see the pilot expanding nationally and to all fresh-cut [items]."
