New County vending rules seen as arbitrary

For the first time this year, MCPS is enforcing federal and state policies regarding the in-school sale of foods and beverages that do not meet nutritional requirements.

As a result of these requirements, whose integrity some question, Blair may be suffering a loss of income that could affect funding, especially in the area of technology, according to Principal Phillip Gainous.

Most Pepsi-Cola products do not meet federal nutritional requirements, so Blair's old Pepsi machines have been replaced by "limited access" machines. Pepsi-Cola, which holds an over $50,000 per year contract with Blair, purchased the new machines.

The machines run on timers and automatically turn on after the last lunch period.

Gainous was careful to follow the guidelines after media attention turned last year to Blair's disregard of regulations. Although other county schools also ignored the guidelines, the media focused on Blair because of the school's unusually large contract with Pepsi. "With all the attention on us, I'd have to be stupid not to follow the rules," said Gainous.

Instead of buying snack machines that run on timers, Gainous ordered Blair's snack machines to be stocked only with items approved for sale all day. This has caused no major changes in the machines' contents. Many of the items sold before, such as Twix and Kit Kat bars, are on federal and state governments' "Foods Approved For Sale Any Time" lists. However, some products are no longer sold at Blair due to their restricted status.

Sue Snider, a food and nutrition specialist at the University of Delaware, said the permitted products are not much healthier than those that cannot be sold until after lunch. "My initial reaction is, what's the difference?" said Snider of the lists of approved and restricted items.

The difference, according to Larry Bowers, Chief Operating Officer of MCPS, is based on the United States Recommended Dietary Allowance (USRDA) requirements for eight particular nutrients. Restricted-sale items contain less than five percent of all eight nutrients per serving. Beverages must contain five percent fruit juice to be classified as fruit beverages and therefore be approved for sale all day.

Gainous, like Snider, asserted that the distinction between restricted and nonrestricted products appears arbitrary and that the approved items continue to provide students with unhealthy options. However, Gainous believes that providing those options does not significantly alter students' eating habits. "Kids that are already into [poor eating habits], that's what they're going to do," said Gainous.

Kathleen Lazor, director of the Division of Food and Nutrition Services for MCPS, said the use of the lists to determine what can be sold in schools throughout the day "probably will" help improve students' eating habits.

Lazor declined to say whether she believes the available approved products are healthy. She said that the items are not approved as being healthy but "as being of minimal nutritional value." She added, "Everyone has a different definition of healthy."

MCPS is enforcing these policies in response to publicity about unhealthy food sold in schools.

The new enforcement could affect Blair financially. Blair earns a commission on each vending machine item sold, and Gainous said the restrictions could already be having negative effects on income. "My casual observation is we don't appear to be selling as much
soda," said Gainous.

If Blair is losing money, Gainous said he expects losses to increase in the spring, when warm weather usually pushes students to buy soda. "I hope [the students] will like buying water," he said.

If the restrictions have a major effect on income, funding for technological equipment such as computers would probably be hardest hit, according to Gainous.

Formal information on the effect on sales will be available in the next few weeks, according to business manager Anne Alban.