Ns2rational

Foods and beverages are caffeine free, with the exception of trace amounts of
naturally occurring caffeine-related substances.
Rationale
The evidence for adverse health effects, other than physical dependency and withdrawal from caffeine consumption, varies in severity of effects and consistency of results among studies except for physical dependency and withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance and dependence on caffeine have been identified in all ages, including school-age children, and withdrawal from regular caffeine intake is followed by generally mild effects such as moodiness, headache, and shakiness. Although there may be some benefits associated with caffeine consumption among adults, the committee did not support offering products containing significant amounts of caffeine for school-age children because of the potential for adverse effects, including physical dependency and withdrawal. Thus the committee judged that caffeine in significant quantities has no place in foods and beverages offered in schools. The committee recognized that some foods and beverages contain trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine and related substances. The intent of the committee was not to exclude such foods or beverages if the amounts of caffeine consumed are small and the product otherwise complies with the recommended nutrition standards. Beverages containing nonnutritive sweeteners are only allowed in high schools after
the end of the school day.

Rationale for Nonnutritive-Sweetened Beverages
Safety The FDA sets a safety standard for foods or food additives, regulated by the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, of “a reasonable certainty of no harm.” Prior to
their approval for use, the FDA reviewed numerous safety studies on nonnutritive
sweeteners in current use and has not, to date, found an associated safety risk. There is,
however, a paucity of evidence on long-term health effects in humans from nonnutritive
sweeteners, particularly exposure initiated in childhood.
Displacement Soft drinks do not provide nutrients identified as lacking in the diets of
U.S. children. These beverages could, if offered during the school day, displace more
nutrient-rich products, such as nonfat and low-fat milk or 100-percent juice. The
committee determined this was less of a consideration outside meal times, when milk and
juice consumption is believed to be relatively low. The committee found no evidence to
evaluate the impact of nonnutritive-sweetened products to increase the consumption of
foods and beverages to be encouraged (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat or
low-fat dairy products).
Efficacy Evidence shows that diets that use nonnutritive-sweetened products can aid in
weight loss and/or maintenance (i.e., weight control) in obese adult women. In these
studies, nonnutritive sweeteners were generally consumed in beverages. No evidence is
available to evaluate the efficacy of nonnutritive-sweetened foods for weight control.
Preliminary evidence from a pilot study in adolescents indicated that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with nonnutritive-sweetened beverages could help obese adolescents with weight control. Nonnutritive-sweetened beverages provide low-calorie choices that may effectively contribute to weight control. High school-age students may be better able to
discriminate among more or less healthful choices and better prepared to make informed,
individually appropriate beverage choices than younger school-age children.
Necessity Although the DGA and the DGAC acknowledged that obesity is a major public
health concern, they remained silent on the use of nonnutritive sweeteners as part of the
strategy to maintain a healthy weight in Americans, including school-age children. The
DGAC literature review did not include a review of the efficacy of nonnutritive
sweeteners for weight loss and weight maintenance and the DGA did not address
nonnutritive sweeteners as part of the strategy to maintain a healthy weight in Americans,
including school-age children. The DGA does state that reduction of caloric intake is
important in weight control; thus use of nonnutritive sweeteners could be a weight
control strategy for some populations, but are not necessary to achieve this goal.
Conclusion Based on the lack of evidence to evaluate efficacy and with an intention to
avoid complexity of standards across age groups and times of day, the committee took a
cautious approach in its recommendations and determined that nonnutritive sweeteners
are limited to beverages for high school students after school, thus avoiding competition
with and potential displacement of nutrient-rich products as part of school meals and
snacks.
Sports drinks are not available in the school setting except when provided by the
school for student athletes participating in sport programs involving vigorous
activity of more than one hour’s duration.

Rationale
The committee concluded that, in most contexts, sports drinks are equivalent to flavored water, and because of their high sugar content it is appropriate that they be excluded from both Tier 1 and 2 beverages. However, for students engaged in prolonged, vigorous activities on hot days, evidence suggests sports drinks are useful for facilitating hydration, providing energy, and replacing electrolytes. The committee’s recommended standard is consistent with conclusions of expert panels who considered this issue in adults. The committee suggests that the individual athletic coach determine whether sports drinks are made available to student athletes under allowable conditions to maintain hydration. Stallings, V., Yaktine, A.; Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools: Leading the Way Toward Healthier Youth. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

Source: http://doeweb2.k12.hi.us/foodservice/toolkit/nutritionstandards/ns2rationale.pdf