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NAMA National Automatic Merchandising Association NEW VOLUNTARY BALANCED FOR LIFE NUTRITION STANDARDS

Operators Will Choose from Three Options

Chicago, IL – Members of the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) who need help with health and wellness programs will soon have a choice of three new voluntary nutrition standards available through the industry’s Balanced for Life Health and Wellness initiative, NAMA President and CEO Richard M. Geerdes, NCE, announced today. The new program was unanimously approved during the Board of Director’s June meeting, and is designed to offer operators a choice of programs that helps them best meet their local requirements.

In announcing the new program elements Geerdes said, “These new guidelines are designed to strengthen the Balanced for Life program and help our members adapt locally. Across the country, school and work accounts are looking to our industry to partner with them on health and wellness issues. This new voluntary program component can help operators demonstrate that they have the tools to help and truly be part of the solution. In addition, because each nutritional program is a stand alone resource, each operator can easily implement the program he or she thinks is best suited to a particular environment.”

The new nutritional ‘Basket of BFL Tools” includes three distinct programs for operators:

• 35-10-35 Standard -- This is the most widespread nutritional guideline, and calls for products that are less than 35% fat, less than 10% saturated fat and less than 35% total weight in sugar.
• The Alliance for a Healthier Generation Standard – This standard begins with the 35-10-35 guidelines mentioned above, but also require a cap of 230 milligrams of sodium and for calorie caps of 180 for products sold in middle schools and 200 for products sold in high schools.
• The Institute of Medicine Standard – This standard reflects the nutritional guidelines called for in the recent report released by the organization, “Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools: Leading the Way Toward Healthier Youth.”

The IOM Standard calls for a two-tiered system: Tier One products are allowed at all grade levels during the school day and during after-school activities. These foods must meet the 35-10-35 guidelines except that there may no more than 35 percent or less of calories from sugar. (The sugar requirement is somewhat different than other standards which mandate less than 35% total weight in sugar.) In addition, the products must be fruits, vegetables, whole grains or nonfat or low-fat dairy, trans-fat free, limited to 200 calories, and have less than 200 mg of sodium per portion as packaged.

Tier Two foods would be available only to high school students and only after school hours. These foods would also be limited to the 35-10-35 nutrition standards, no more than 200 calories and 200 mg of sodium per portion as packaged, trans-fat free; further, drinks could only have five or fewer calories per portion and no caffeine, cannot be vitamin- or mineral-fortified, but may be carbonated and may contain flavoring or a sugar substitute.

In discussing the guidelines Geerdes said, “Some operators might feel that the 35-10-35 guideline best meets their needs, but others might need a stronger nutritional component. For example, while the IOM standards are somewhat restrictive, they are already being adopted in communities across the country. In addition, many believe that the current legislation being considered in the House and the Senate that would regulate the nutritional components of food sold in schools could eventually include these IOM guidelines. As a result, the Board felt it was important to include a variety of options for members who need to comply with differing local guidelines.”

Each BFL nutritional component will be a stand alone system that provides all the materials necessary to implement that particular standard. Included will be stickers that operators can place in front of qualifying products, point of sale materials and a list of products that meet the nutritional guidelines.

Concluded Geerdes, “The world of nutrition and the requirements imposed on our industry are constantly changing. NAMA continues to stay informed and will continue to lead our industry to help our members respond. We hope that these materials will help us to be responsive, and demonstrate our industry’s commitment to protecting the health and wellness of consumers everywhere.”

NAMA is the national trade association of the food and refreshment vending, coffee service and foodservice management industries including on-site, commissary, catering, & mobile. Its membership is comprised of service companies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers of products and services to operating service companies. The basic mission of the association, to collectively advance and promote the automatic merchandising and coffee service industries, still guides NAMA today as it did in 1936, the year of the organization’s founding.