The USDA earned praise this past June when it released its ground-breaking new rules for “competitive” school food – the snacks and beverages offered to students through school stores, snack bars, vending machines and other outlets.
But it might surprise readers to know that my adopted home state of Texas, a place hardly known for its progressive policies, is among the states that already had competitive food regulations in place. Promulgated by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), the agency which administers the state’s federal school lunch program, the “Texas School Nutrition Policy” regulates the time and place in which competitive foods and beverages may be sold and also sets nutrition standards for those items. Texas’s nutrition standards are pretty lax when compared to the new federal rules (allowing, for example, 28 grams of fat in a given item), but the TDA has relied upon them since 2009 to curb sales of the worst junk food on Texas school campuses.
But now, in a rather bungling fashion, Texas legislators have significantly gutted those state regulations. In doing so, they may also have primed the state for a conflict with the federal government next year.
Here’s the background. When it comes to the sale of junk food on campus, high schools tend to be the biggest offenders. Here in Houston ISD, for example, high school students, PTOs and coaches often set up fundraising tables at lunch to sell entrees from local restaurants and fast food chains, everything from pizza to Chinese food, creating veritable “food courts” of junk food. Students often prefer to buy these items rather than eat in overcrowded cafeterias or go off campus, and the fundraisers are so lucrative that some principals not only turn a blind eye to them, they are rarely deterred even when TDA fines the school for a violation.
Last spring, though, TDA got serious and imposed fines totaling $73,000 on eight Houston high schools for illegal competitive food sales.* Those eye-popping fines made headlines and local TV news, and apparently motivated someone to head up to the state house in Austin to successfully lobby on the issue.
Alluding to the recent TDA fines imposed in Houston, Republican House Representative Ken King introduced in the last legislative session HB1781 which “ensure[s] that Texas high schools have the freedom” to continue junk food fundraisers and which expressly forbids the TDA from fining those schools based on the food’s nutritional content. Six Republican and two Democratic representatives joined King in co-sponsoring the bill, which ultimately passed and was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on June 14th. The law is now in effect statewide.
So while the nation as whole is moving forward on issues relating to childhood obesity and poor nutrition, Texas has taken a big leap backward in protecting fundraising that directly and adversely impacts student health. That development is disheartening enough, but here’s where it gets really messy.
Whoever drafted HB1781 decided to use some legislative shorthand to describe the types of foods that high schools may continue to sell. But instead of referring back to the state regulations the bill is trying to thwart, HB1781 instead allows Texas high schools to sell “foods of minimal nutritional value” (FMNV), as that term is defined by federal law.
The federal definition of FMNV harks back to the 1970s when there were virtually no rules regarding competitive food and the government was trying to keep the “worst of the worst” out of school cafeterias during meal times. FMNV is defined generally as foods providing less than 5% of the daily value of certain nutrients and specifically as: sodas and other carbonated beverages; water ices; chewing gum; and certain types of candy — hard candy, jellies and gums, marshmallows, fondants, licorice, spun candy and candy-coated popcorn.
So while the Texas legislature was trying to allow high schools to sell fast food entrees at lunch, its sloppy drafting has inadvertently limited high schools to selling only a few foods – basically soda and candy – identified by the federal government over forty years ago as the least healthy for our children.
Way to go, Texas!
Based on the bill analysis, the Texas legislators behind HB1781 seemed to care only about bucking state nutrition policy, but they have also put the state in direct conflict with the new federal competitive food rules. When those rules go into effect in the 2014-15 school year, sales of FMNV will certainly be barred, as will almost all of the competitive food currently sold in high school “food courts.” And while the new federal rules do make an exception for occasional junk food fundraisers, such as a bake sale, HB1781 has no such limitation, allowing high school junk food fundraisers every day of the school year.
All of this means the TDA will face a big choice starting in the fall of 2014: follow the federal regulations or follow a Texas law which expressly flouts them.
I asked Bryan Black, Director of Communications at the TDA, for comment. He told me the agency agrees that HB1781 is in conflict with the new federal regulations and added:
Over the next year, the Texas Department of Agriculture will work with legislators, parents, school districts and the federal government to figure out solutions that solve the conflict between state law and federal rules.
Stay tuned.
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* I’ve had a Public Information Request pending with the TDA since July 3rd seeking documents related to the $73,000 in fines recently assessed by the TDA. It’s my understanding that TDA’s actions were successfully appealed by the Houston ISD high schools and the fines waived or reduced. I’ll report back here once I receive the documents.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Bettina Elias Siegel
Donna says
Great scoop, Bettina. Such a sad state of affairs.
Casey says
Texas is making Kentucky look good! I see it was one of the states not included in the latest CDC child obesity map: http://kyhealthykids.com/2013/08/07/middle-school-orientation-junk-food-fest/
kay says
Excellent reporting, as usual, Bettinna. But such a sad story.
At Risk Campus Teacher says
Hello Bettina,
I am a teacher who has attempted to advocate for our at-risk students in requesting that colleagues stop giving candy as a “reward” to our middle and high school students. I share the same group of students and watch them achieve goals and make significant and real progress without ever having given a piece of candy.
During a recent faculty meeting over this subject, I and a handful of others gave concrete examples of how colleagues ignoring the FMNV create unnecessary obstacles for teachers who don’t give candy and students. I have experienced everything from students on a sugar high to incidents that have escalated aggressively because students blame teachers who don’t give candy. It’s unfortunate that this occurs repeatedly and our principal did worse than turn a blind eye. Our principal ended our end of year meeting agreeing that teachers should be able to use candy as a tool and those that don’t agree shouldn’t judge. I’m baffled.
What help or avenues can teachers take to keep candy out of the classroom?
I am proud that through this process I have remained professional while the opposing side has offered only emotional tirades. However, it feels horrible when all your good intentions and effort are skewed and the staff begins summer divided. Inflammatory remarks were made toward those who want candy out and it was evident that if we bring topic up again “next year would be uncomfortable.”
Thank you for your time. Concerned teacher who will continue truly teaching not bribing.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Hi At Risk: I’m sorry for the delay in responding. (You left this comment during a blogging hiatus due to my son’s bar mitzvah.) I’m so supportive of your efforts to reduce the amount of candy in the classroom. To the extent that candy consumption can affect any child’s behavior (either due to food dyes, as some believe, and certainly due to blood sugar “highs” and crashes), it seems even more out of place in a classroom for kids with behavioral problems. If you haven’t yet seen it, I think my free eBook on getting junk food out of classrooms might be very useful to you. Be sure to look especially at the sections on how much sugar kids should (or shouldn’t) be getting in a single day, which might carry some weight with your fellow teachers. The book may be downloaded here. I hope it helps and thank you for writing!