Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"A la carte item" means an individually priced food item served by the local school nutrition department that may or may not be part of the reimbursable meal under the federal Child Nutrition Programs.

"After school activities" means activities that occur on the school campus after the school day.

"Beverage" means a drinkable liquid.

"Calorie" means the amount of heat required to change the temperature of one gram of water from 14.5°C to 15.5°C. Calorie is used synonymously with kilocalorie as a unit of measure for energy obtained from food and beverages.

"Child nutrition programs" means school meal programs funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and includes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Afterschool Snack Programs (ASP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Special Milk Program (SMP).

"Combination foods" means products that contain two or more components representing two or more of the recommended food groups: fruit, vegetable, dairy, protein, or grains.

"Competitive food" means all food available for sale to students on the school campus during the school day other than meals reimbursed under programs authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 USC § 1751 et seq.) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 USC § 1771 et seq.).

"Competitive food" includes all foods available for sale to students:

1. In school cafeterias as a la carte items.

2. In vending machines located on the school campus during the school day.

3. As fundraisers held on the school campus during the school day.

4. In school snack bars on the school campus during the school day.

5. In school stores operated on the school campus during the school day by the school, a student association, or other school-sponsored organization.

6. At school activities such as special fundraisers, achievement rewards, classroom parties, school celebrations, classroom snacks, or school meetings held on the school campus during the school day.

7. In culinary education programs where food prepared as part of the educational curriculum is sold to students; however, this provision does not apply if food is sold to adults only.

This term does not apply to food a student brings from home for consumption at school or items available for sale to adults only in areas not accessible to students (e.g., teachers lounges).

"Dietary Guidelines for Americans" means guidelines jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture and revised every five years and that provide authoritative advice based on current scientific evidence and medical knowledge for people two years of age and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.

"Entree item" means an item that is either (i) a combination food of meat or meat alternate and whole grain rich food; (ii) a combination food of vegetable or fruit and meat or meat alternate; or (iii) a meat or meat alternate alone with the exception of yogurt; low-fat or reduced fat cheese; nuts, seeds, and nut or seed butters; and meat snacks (e.g., dried beef jerky).

"Fundraiser" means a school-sponsored activity where food or nonfood items are sold on the school campus during regular school hours by the school-sponsored organization to raise money for a school-related program or activity. One fundraiser is defined as one or more fundraising activities by one or more school-sponsored organizations that last one school day.

"Fundraising exemption" means an exception that allows a school-sponsored organization to sell on the school campus during regular school hours (i) food or beverages that do not meet the nutrition standards established in this chapter and (ii) items that do not meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Smart Snacks in Schools regulation. Fundraisers that sell nonfood items or that sell foods or beverages that meet the nutrition standards are not subject to this chapter or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Smart Snacks in Schools regulation.

"Obesity" means obesity in children and adolescents referring to the age-specific and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) that is equal to or greater than the 95th percentile of the BMI charts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Regular school hours" means the standard school day, as defined in 8VAC20-131-5, except for the purpose of fundraiser exemptions, breaks for meals and recess are included in the regular school hours.

"School campus" means, for the purpose of competitive food standards implementation, all areas of the property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during the school day.

"School day" means, for the purpose of competitive food standards implementation, the period from the midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day.

"School food authority" or "SFA" means, under the federal child nutrition laws, the entity that is legally responsible for the operations and administration of the local school nutrition programs (i.e., school division).

"Trans fat" means food items containing vegetable shortening, margarine, or any partially hydrogenated vegetable oil unless the label required on the food, pursuant to applicable federal and state law, lists the trans fat content as zero grams per serving.

"Wellness policy" means a policy required for public schools participating in a nutrition program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 USC § 1751 et seq.) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 USC § 1771 et seq.) that meets minimum standards designed to support school environments that promote student wellness.

"Whole grains" means grains that are made with enriched and whole grain meal or flour in accordance with the most recent grains guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

"Whole-grain rich" means products that contain at least 50% whole grains and the remaining grains in the product must be enriched.