Competitive Foods' Nutritional Quality and Compliance with Smart Snacks Standards: An Analysis of a National Sample of U.S. Middle and High Schools.

Autor: Cohen JFW; Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP), Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA.; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA., Kesack A; Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP), Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA., Daly TP; Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP), Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA., Elnakib SA; Department of Family and Community Health Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA., Hager E; Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA., Hahn S; Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA., Hamlin D; Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK 74135, USA., Hill A; Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA., Lehmann A; School of Allied Health, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA., Lurie P; Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA., Maroney M; Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA., Means J; Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK 74135, USA., Mueller MP; Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, 1571 Campus Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA., Olarte DA; Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP), Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA., Polacsek M; Center for Excellence in Public Health, University of New England, 716 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME 04103, USA., Schwartz MB; Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1 Constitution Plaza, Suite 600, Hartford, CT 06103, USA., Sonneville KR; Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA., Spruance LA; Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA., Woodward AR; Sociology Department, Berea College, Berea, KY 40404, USA., Chapman LE; Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP), Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA.; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nutrients [Nutrients] 2024 Jan 17; Vol. 16 (2). Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jan 17.
DOI: 10.3390/nu16020275
Abstrakt: Snacks and beverages are often sold in addition to meals in U.S. schools ("competitive foods"), but their current nutritional quality and compliance with national Smart Snacks standards are unknown. This study assessed competitive foods in a national sample of 90 middle and high schools. Differences in compliance by school characteristics were measured using mixed methods analysis of variance. Overall, 80% of the schools in the sample sold competitive foods; but they were less commonly available in schools with universal free school meal (UFSM) policies. A total of 840 unique products were documented and, on average, 75% were compliant with Smart Snacks standards. A total of 56% aligned with recommended added sugar limits (<10% of calories); and 340 unique products (40%) aligned with both sugar and Smart Snacks standards. Approximately one-fifth of competitive foods contained synthetic dyes, and 31% of beverages contained artificial sweeteners. Smart Snacks standards compliance was greater when competitive foods were overseen by food service departments, in comparison with others (e.g., principals, student organizations, or outside vendors [77% vs. 59% compliance; p = 0.003]). Therefore, district wellness policies should consider requiring food service departments to oversee competitive foods. Federal and state policies should limit added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and synthetic dyes. This appears to be highly feasible, given the substantial number of products that meet these criteria. UFSM policies should also be considered to support healthier school meal environments more broadly.
Databáze: MEDLINE