Large School Districts Not Relaxing School Meal Standards

Seven of the largest school districts in the United States will not relax school meal standards that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced changes to last week.   Seven school districts organized as the Urban School Food Alliance — New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami-Dade County Florida, Orange County of Orlando, Florida, and Broward County of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, — will continue to reduce sodium levels, increase the percentage of whole-grain rich foods to 100% and serve only nonfat flavored milk rather than one percent milk, according to the Hagstrom Report.

The schools have a combined enrollment of 3.1 million students and spend more than $590 million a year on food and food supplies.  The schools joined to tell food companies that they wanted, for example, antibiotic-free chicken and lunch trays that could be composted.

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