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sought on banning junk food in schools
Friday, November 19, 2004 • BY CHANDRA M.
HAYSLETT • Star-Ledger Staff
Jerseyans are invited to a public hearing on a
regulation that would restrict junk food in public
elementary and middle school cafeterias.
The proposal, introduced by former Gov. James E.
McGreevey, calls for all school vending machines to offer
only healthy snacks by September 2007. Candy and other items
made mostly of sugar would not be sold to students. Neither
could soda.
Currently, schools can sell soda only after the last
lunch period. On the elementary level, soda would be
replaced by water, milk and 100 percent fruit juice. At the
middle and high schools, drinks containing 60 percent fruit
juice would be allowed. Snack foods with more than eight
grams of fat and two grams of saturated fat per serving
would be banned.
The Assembly on Monday passed a bill, A3196, that is
similar to McGreevey's proposal. As of Monday, residents had
60 days to comment at the public hearing or by sending their
comments in writing to Kathy Kuser, director of the Division
of Food and Nutrition, Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box
334, Trenton, N.J. 08625-0334.
The public hearing will be at 9:30 a.m., Dec. 1 at the
Cook College campus center's multipurpose room C in New
Brunswick.
© 2004 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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