Translating the Dietary Guidelines into food service guidelines for the federal workplace: Aligning the needs of management, contractors, and customers

The federal government is assisting its employees in making healthy food and beverage choices, and creating and promoting a sustainable food system through guidelines for food available for purchase at federal facilities. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the General Services Administration (GSA) have worked collaboratively to create the Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations, which propose specific food, nutrition, and sustainability standards. The goal of these guidelines is to assist contractors in creating a healthier and more sustainable food service by increasing the offering of healthier food and beverage choices, while eliminating industrially produced trans fats, decreasing the sodium content in available foods, and allowing people to make informed choices about what they are purchasing and eating through the labeling of menu items. The guidelines apply to all food service concession operations and vending machines managed by HHS and GSA. The guidelines may also be applied at sponsored or co-sponsored conferences and events onsite and offsite, as deemed appropriate. The guidelines can be viewed at: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/guidelines/food-service-guidelines.htm. This session will explain the rationale, development, content, and use of the HHS and GSA's Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations. The Guidelines' potential utility to state and local governments, private organizations, and businesses and the role of partnerships in using and promoting them will also be covered.