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By Craig Palmer

Washington—A national health policy advisory panel proposed new standards for foods and beverages in schools and on school grounds toward a "healthful eating environment" for children and adolescents and reduced risk of dental and other disease. Lunch from home is not covered by the guidelines and was seen as outside the scope of the panel's study.

"The quality of nutritional intake has a profound effect on a range of health issues," said the report issued by a National Academies' Institute of Medicine committee at the request of Congress. "Improving childhood nutritional status improves the future health of the nation by diminishing individual risk factors for chronic disease that include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and dental caries."

The panel's recommended nutrition standards are among several elements of a school policy that could significantly improve the nutritional quality of foods offered in schools, said the IOM committee on nutrition standards for foods in schools.

"The role of diet in the etiology of dental caries is well established," said the report entitled Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools, Leading the Way Toward Healthier Youth. "There is consistently strong evidence that frequent consumption of sugar and other fermentable carbohydrates is associated with the development of caries.

"Because of the synergistic relationship between nutrition and oral health, and because nutrition is a critical component of oral health, efforts to improve the dietary habits of children and adolescents are needed." The report in a section on dental caries cites The Journal of the American Dental Association and other international research.

ADA online information sources on diet and oral health are available for the public and professionals on ADA.org.

The IOM established the committee to review and make recommendations on appropriate nutritional standards for the availability, sale, content and consumption of foods at school, with attention given to foods offered in competition with federally-reimbursed meals and snacks. The study was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The committee proposed two tiers of competitive foods and beverages that could be available in schools based on grade level. The standards would apply to foods and beverages competitive with federally reimbursable school meals, which already must conform to some nutrition guidelines, and include a la carte cafeteria items, products sold in vending machines and at school stores, and other foods and drinks available on school grounds but not to federal school meals or bagged lunches or snacks children bring to school.

The committee was not asked for and did not recommend an implementation plan. The news release and report are available on the National Academies Web site .