Senate Passes Child Nutrition Bill

By unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate has passed S.3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which is reported to be the biggest financial increase for school lunch programs in recent decades.

Introduced by Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), the bill requires all food sold in school lunch programs to reflect current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Expanded education on proper nutrition and better efficiency in enrolling students into meal programs (via paperwork) are other provisions in the bill. Regarding financial numbers, the bill is projected to provide a six-cent increase to the value of every school meal during the bill's life.

Nutritional Outlook will continue reporting on this story as information emerges, including details on how the bill could affect nutritional markets.

The House's version of the bill, H.R.5504, the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act, is still awaiting a vote.