The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

Opportunities and Implementation

Tracy A. Fox, MPH, RDFederal Policy Team Lead

RWJF Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA)

Makes significant changes, and increases funding for, federal child nutrition programs in three ways:

1 Improving Nutrition/Reducing Childhood Obesity

2 Increasing Access to Programs3 Increasing Program Monitoring and

Integrity

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1. Improving Nutrition/Reducing Childhood Obesity

• Nutrition standards-competitive foods• More funding for school meals• More farm-to-school/school gardens• Improves commodities• Drinking water during meal service• Local wellness policy standards• Child care nutrition and wellness• Breastfeeding support

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2. Increasing Access

• Direct certification (115,000 more kids)• Universal meal access• Expands after-school meals for at-risk

kids • Expands WIC EBT

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3. Increasing Program Monitoring and Integrity

• School district audits every three years• Transparency in nutrition information• Improves food safety recall and HACCP• Training and technical assistance

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Funding

• Currently, child nutrition programs are funded at about $23 million per year

• HHFKA provided an additional $4.5 billion over 10 years

• About 75 percent of increase goes to 6 cent increase in reimbursement (kicks in school year 2012-13)

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Up Close: Competitive Foods, Section 208

• Gives USDA authority to set nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools during school day

• Standards to be consistent with recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Exception for school-sponsored fundraisers

• Regulations to be issued in twelve months

• USDA gathering information now• No deadline for final rules

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Up Close: Child and Adult Care Food Program

• Nutrition standards• Technical assistance• Research• Interagency coordination• Less administrative burden

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Up Close: Access to Local Foods - Farm to School, Section 243

Competitive grants for:• Training• Supporting operations• Planning• Purchasing equipment• Developing school gardens• Developing partnerships• Implementing farm to school

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Up Close – Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grants, Section 241

• Restructures SNAP-Ed• Education efforts to encourage

healthy eating; consistent with Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• USDA to consult with CDC• Funds can be used for:– individual/group based nutrition ed– comprehensive, multi-level interventions– community and public health approaches

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Implementation: School Meals

• Proposed rules issued January 13• Comments due April 13• Final rules expected in 18 months with

implementation slated for 2012-2013 school year

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Meal Pattern Changes: Fruits/Vegetables

• Fruit/vegetable separated into 2 components

• A daily serving of fruit must be served at breakfast and at lunch

• No more than half of the fruit offerings may be in the form of juice

• 100% juice only• ¼ cup of dried fruit = ½ cup of fruit• At breakfast, non‐starchy vegetables

may be offered in place of fruits

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Meal Pattern Changes: Whole Grains

New whole grains requirement:• At least ½ of grains offered during

week must be whole grain‐rich• 2 years post implementation, all

grains offered must whole grain‐rich• Criteria to identify whole grain‐rich

products would be established in guidance and reflect temporary criterion provided in the IOM report

• Incorporates the Healthier US School Challenge criteria

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Meal Pattern Changes: Milk

Fluid milk:• Fat‐free (unflavored or flavored)• Low‐fat (unflavored)• At least two choices within these

types

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Meal Pattern Changes: Four Dietary Specifications

• Standards for sodium, calories, and saturated fat to be met on average over the course of the school week– Sodium reduction over ten years– Calorie ranges

• Products and ingredients used to prepare daily meal must contain zero grams of trans fat per serving

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Actions and Opportunities

• Comment on regulations• Provide input on guidance• Apply for grants• Provide case studies and success stories

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