SNA Legislative Action Conference 2008 March 3, 2008 FNS Research Update John Endahl Office of Research, Analysis, & Nutrition

Selected Child Nutrition Studies School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study – III (SNDA-III) NSLP/SBP Access, Participation, Eligibility, and Certification Study (APEC) School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Cost Study-II

School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study-III (SNDA-III) -- Overview Provides detailed information on: – the operations of school meal programs, – the school environment, – nutrient content of school meals, and – the contribution of school meals to students’ diets The data were collected in School Year It repeats a study last conducted in SY , but it includes elements not studied since SY

Percentage of Schools Meeting Standards Source:SNDA-III, Menu Survey, SY SNDA-III Key Findings School Meals and Competitive Foods

SOURCE: SNDA-III, Menu Survey, School Year SNDA-III Key Findings School Meals and Competitive Foods Percentage of Schools Meeting the Calorie Standard

SOURCE: SNDA-III, Menu Survey, School Year Percentage Meeting the Standard SNDA-III Key Findings School Meals and Competitive Foods Less than One-Third of Schools Met Standards for Reimbursable Meals for Total Fat or Saturated Fat

SOURCE: SNDA-III, Menu Survey, School Year Few Schools Met All SMI Standards for a Reimbursable Lunch SNDA-III Key Findings School Meals and Competitive Foods Only 5.7% meet all SMI standards, even with the waiver to use offered (unweighted) data Only 5.7% meet all SMI standards, even with the waiver to use offered (unweighted) data Percentage of Schools Meeting all SMI Standards

SOURCE: SNDA-III, Menu Survey, School Year Percentage Meeting the Standard SNDA-III Key Findings School Meals and Competitive Foods Low Fat and Low Saturated Fat Lunch Options Were Widely Available Percentage of Schools Offering Students Opportunity to Select

SNDA-III Key Findings School Meals and Competitive Foods Foods sold in competition with USDA school meals are widely available on campus, particularly in secondary schools. –1/3 of elementary schools and almost 2/3 of secondary schools had a la carte available at lunch –37 percent of elementary and percent of secondary schools held fundraisers focused on the sale of food or beverages –Vending machines were available in 17 percent of elementary schools, 82 percent of middle schools and 97 percent of high schools

SNDA-III Key Findings USDA Conclusions School meals continue to make an important contribution to the diets of school children. Major changes in school meals will be needed to meet the recommendations in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans –Reduce fat and saturated fat –Sodium levels need to be cut in half –Fiber levels need to be doubled –Use of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or lowfat milk needs to be increased

NSLP/SBP Access, Participation, Eligibility, and Certification (APEC) Study Responsive to the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 requirements of reporting erroneous payments annually The Study examines two types of erroneous payments: –Certification errors (Administrative error, household misreporting) –Non certification errors (cashier error, meal counting/claiming errors)

APEC – Estimated Costs of Erroneous Payments in NSLP/SBP $935 $860 $1,797

APEC – Certification Error Rate Estimates

APEC – Certification Error Reporting and Administrative Error Rates

APEC- Addressing the Erroneous Payment Problem: No Simple Solution A successful error reduction strategy must: Improve accuracy without compromising access for low-income families Limit increased burden on schools Be cost-effective Consider the needs of other users of school meal program eligibility data

School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Cost Study-II Examines the cost of producing NSLP and SBP meals Data collected for SY to estimate –Reported costs (costs charged to the school foodservice budget) –Full costs (reported costs plus unreported costs -- costs paid by school districts in support of the SFA but not charged to the SFA)

School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Cost Study-II Expect to release the report by the end of March Results are not much different from those presented in the first School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Cost Study conducted nearly 15 years ago.

SNDA-III, APEC, and Meal Cost-II Final Reports and Executive Summaries Published on the FNS website