Capturing the impact of food and beverage standards in California high schools

The passage of California Senate Bills 12 and 965 called for the implementation of unprecedented nutrition standards which regulate school foods and beverages in all K-12 schools. This is the only legislation of its kind that applies to K-12. A comprehensive two-year evaluation comparing pre- and post-implementation was conducted with 57 randomly-selected California high schools to assess the impact of these standards on the school food and beverage environment, meal program participation, food service revenues, revenues from groups selling competitive foods and beverages on campus, and changes in students' intake of specific foods. Methods included systematic site observations, surveys of food service directors, financial reports from food service departments and other school groups that sell competitive foods, and student intake data from a statewide survey. The extent to which schools made changes after the standards went into effect will be discussed. Baseline findings showed that while there is a predominance of convenience foods in schools, there is also a trend towards healthy school lunch options; schools are taking steps towards implementing the standards and developing monitoring strategies. Findings also indicate that dining areas were often inadequate. Barriers to providing healthier options include food and labor costs. Implications for successful implementation of nutrition standards in schools will be presented.