School Food Makers Commit To Healthier School Meals, Including AdvancePierre Foods, Schwan's, Dole Food Co.

Thirteen leading school meals manufacturers, group purchasing organizations (companies that negotiate with manufacturers and distributors for competitive prices) and technology companies collaborated with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop, market and competitively price healthier school meal options, streamline the ordering process; and make identifying healthy options easier. This means that they've removed the common barriers – cost, availability and time – that prevent the serving of healthier food products.

The list includes: AdvancePierre Foods, Domino's Pizza, JTM Food Group, McCain Foods USA, Rich Products Corp., Schwan's Food Service, Trident Seafoods, HPS, Premier healthcare alliance, Summa/Provista, Interflex, Dole Food Co., Inc. and the National Turkey Federation.

Food manufacturers will set prices for their healthier products that meet the Alliance's scientific guidelines for nutrition at prices no higher than less healthy comparable products. Manufacturers have also committed to aggressively market healthier options with a pledge to increase the total sales of healthy, Alliance compliant products to at least 50 percent of their entire school sales over a 5-year period.

Group purchasing organizations will offer products through their contracting with school food manufacturers and distribution companies that meet the Alliance's nutritional guidelines.

Technology firm, Interflex, will create an online tool that streamlines the procurement process by assisting schools with planning, bidding and purchasing healthier products that meet the Alliance's school nutrition guidelines.

President Clinton made this announcement at Miami Edison Middle School in Miami, Fla., a participant in the Healthy Schools Program.
For information, go to: www.healthiergeneration.org.