GNO Vending Service

Louisiana Legislators recently passed the Healthy Vending Act to limit the sale of certain snacks in public elementary and secondary school vending machines.  It also restricts the sale of vending machine snacks in public high schools.  According to Dr. Federick P. Cerise, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of healthand Hospitals:

"Louisiana has enacted one of the most stringent public school vending policies in the nation.  This legislation marks significant progress in addressing teh problem of overweight and obese students."

Greater New Orleans Vending Service is prepared to discuss your school's vending compliance program with you. If you are a school administrator and would like a vending program for your school, please contact us.

What does this mean for your school?

For Elementary Schools: Act 331, the Louisiana Healthy Vending Act, limits the times during the day when food and drink vending machines can be accessed by students.  It also requires that all food and drinks sold must meet specific nutritional guidelines and not exceed a certain size or quantity.  For High Schools: the guidelines are less strict, but there are specivic times when students are allowed to buy items from school vending machines and considerations that must be adhered to.

Compliance for Elementary and Secondary Public Schools

• Food and drink vending restrictions begin 30 minutes before the start of the school day and remain in place until 30 minutes after the school day ends.
• Except for milk and water, no beverage can exceed 16 ounces.
• Only beverages allowed to be sold during restricted hours include:

1. 100%vegetable or fruit juices containing no natural or artificial sweeteners;
2. Unsweetened flavored or unflavored drinking water; or
3. low-fat or skim, flavored or unflavored milk or non-dairy milk.

• Snacks are limited except for unsweetened or uncoated seeds or nuts.
• Food items meeting any of the below critteria can not be sold during restricted hours:

1. Foods considered of minimal nutritional value as defined in Section 220.2 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR);
2. Foods that contain more that 150 calories per serving, more than 35% of calories from fat, more than 30 grams of sugar per serving, or fresh pastries.

Compliance for high Schools

Vending sales are allowed during the last 10 minutes of lunch; during this time the below restrictions are applicable:

• At least 50% of the beverages offered must be less than 16 oz. and must be comprised of:

1. 100% vegetable or fruit juices containing no natural or artificial sweeteners;
2. Unsweetened flavored or unflavored drinking water; or
3. Low-fat or skim flavored or unflavored milk or non-dairy milk.

• At least 50% of the snacks available must meet a certain criterion.  Except for unsweetened or uncoated seeds or nuts, half of the food items sold cannot:

1. Foods considered of minimal nutritional value as defined in Section 220.2 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR);
2. Foods that contain more that 150 calories per serving, more than 35% of calories from fat, more than 30 grams of sugar per serving, or fresh pastries.