Clinton Plan Brings Voluntary Limits on Fat, Sugar, Salt in School Snacks

JSOnline via AP ^ | October 6, 2006 | Staff Writer from AP

[Diana in Wisconsin]

(Kraft, Mars, Campbell among companies agreeing to curbs)

New York - Snacks sold in schools will have less fat, sugar and salt under the latest crackdown on junk food won by former President Clinton.

Just five months after a similar agreement targeting the sale of sodas in schools, Clinton and the American Heart Association announced a deal Friday with several major food companies to make school snacks healthier.

"This is voluntary," Clinton said. "They don't have to do it. But they recognize the challenge we face, and they are helping us face the first step."

Clinton said the obesity problem is hurting the American economy by contributing to high health care costs.

The agreement with Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc., Campbell Soup Co., Groupe Danone SA and PepsiCo Inc. sets guidelines for fat, sugar, sodium and calories for snack foods sold in school vending machines, stores and snack bars. Those companies make everything from M&M's, yogurt and granola bars to Frito-Lay potato chips, Snickers bars and canned soups.

Under the guidelines, most foods won't be permitted to derive more than 35% of their calories from fat and more than 10% from saturated fat. There will be a limit of 35% for sugar content by weight.

An example of a snack that would be banned is a Snickers bar, which has 280 calories, 130 of them from fat. The candy bar has 30 grams of sugar out of 58.7 total grams.

"I think it's a good move, but I'd feel a little bit better if they had a farmers' group there saying, 'We've struck an agreement to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in schools,' " said Joseph A. Skelton, a doctor who leads a special program for nutrition, exercise and weight management at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

While pleased with the announcement, Skelton stressed that it's important to remember that "the rise in pediatric obesity has never been just one cause. Obesity is so complex."

Skelton said schools need to consider comprehensive food policies that promote good health. Such policies, he said, should determine whether children can eat in the classroom, set limited hours for use of the vending machines and establish what foods can be sold during fund-raisers.

Raymond Gibbons, president of the heart association, praised the agreement reached with the food companies, saying that "by working with schools and industry to implement these guidelines, we are helping to give parents peace of mind that their kids will be able to make healthier choices at school."

Charles Nicolas, a spokesman for PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay and Quaker, said Frito-Lay already has products that meet the guidelines, such as baked potato chips and reduced-sugar chewy bars. "We're going to change a few recipes so that more snacks meet those guidelines as well," he said.

Kraft said in a statement that it would add the sodium and calorie caps to its nutrition guidelines "and extend these guidelines to include all of our competitive foods sold in schools."

Guidelines:

Foods won't be permitted to derive more than 35% of their calories from fat and more than 10% from saturated fat. There will be a limit of 35% for sugar content by weight.

[ErnBatavia]

Good rant....but I can't understand Willy wanting this new gig - it's obvious that HE enjoys a fatty diet....

[sportutegrl]

Well they have gym 2 days out of six, and recess.