§ 210.11 - Competitive food service and standards.

§ 210.11 Competitive food service and standards.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 32072, Apr. 25, 2024.

(a) Definitions. For the purpose of this section:

(1) 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.

(2) Competitive food means all food and beverages other than meals reimbursed under programs authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 available for sale to students on the School campus during the School day.

(3) Entrée item means an item that is intended as the main dish in a reimbursable meal and is either:

(i) A combination food of a meat or /meat alternate and whole a grain rich food; or

(ii) A combination food of a vegetable or fruit and a 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 (such as dried beef jerky); or

(iv) A grain only , whole-grain rich entrée that is served as the main dish of the School Breakfast Program reimbursable mealin a school breakfast.

(4) 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.

(5) 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.

(6) Paired exempt foods mean food items that have been designated as exempt from one or more of the nutrient requirements individually which are packaged together without any additional ingredients. Such “paired exempt foods” retain their individually designated exemption for total fat, saturated fat, and/or sugar when packaged together and sold but are required to meet the designated calorie and sodium standards specified in §§ 210.11(i) and (j) at all times.

(7) Bean dip means, for the purpose of competitive food standards, a spread made from ground pulses (beans, peas, and/or lentils), along with one or more of the following optional ingredients:

(i) Ground nut/seed butter (such as tahini [ground sesame] or peanut butter).

(ii) Vegetable oil (such as olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil).

(iii) Seasoning (such as salt, citric acid).

(iv) Vegetables and juice for flavor (such as olives, roasted pepper, garlic, lemon juice).

(v) For manufactured bean dip, contains ingredients necessary as preservatives and/or to maintain freshness.

(b) General requirements for competitive food.

(1) State and local educational agency policies. State agencies and/or local educational agencies must establish such policies and procedures as are necessary to ensure compliance with this section. State agencies and/or local educational agencies may impose additional restrictions on competitive foods, provided that they are not inconsistent with the requirements of this part.

(2) Recordkeeping. The local educational agency is responsible for the maintenance of records that document compliance with the nutrition standards for all competitive food available for sale to students in areas under its jurisdiction that are outside of the control of the school food authority responsible for the service of reimbursable school meals. In addition, the local educational agency is responsible for ensuring that organizations designated as responsible for food service at the various venues in the schools maintain records in order to ensure and document compliance with the nutrition requirements for the foods and beverages sold to students at these venues during the school day as required by this section. The school food authority is responsible for maintaining records documenting compliance with these for foods sold under the auspices of the nonprofit school food service. At a minimum, records must include receipts, nutrition labels and/or product specifications for the competitive food available for sale to students.

(3) Applicability. The nutrition standards for the sale of competitive food outlined in this section apply to competitive food for all programs authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 operating on the school campus during the school day.

(4) Fundraiser restrictions. Competitive food and beverage items sold during the school day must meet the nutrition standards for competitive food as required in this section. A special exemption is allowed for the sale of food and/or beverages that do not meet the competitive food standards as required in this section for the purpose of conducting an infrequent school-sponsored fundraiser. Such specially exempted fundraisers must not take place more than the frequency specified by the State agency during such periods that schools are in session. No specially exempted fundraiser foods or beverages may be sold in competition with school meals in the food service area during the meal service.

(c) General nutrition standards for competitive food.

(1) General requirement. At a minimum, all competitive food sold to students on the school campus during the school day must meet the nutrition standards specified in this section. These standards apply to items as packaged and served to students.

(2) General nutrition standards. To be allowable, a competitive food item must:

(i) Meet all of the competitive food nutrient standards as outlined in this section; and

(ii) Be a grain product that contains 50 percent or more whole grains by weight or have as the first ingredient a whole grain; or

(iii) Have as the first ingredient one of the non-grain major food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein foods (meat, beans, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, etc.); or

(iv) Be a combination food that contains 1⁄4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or

(v) If water is the first ingredient, the second ingredient must be one of the food items in paragraphs (c)(2)(ii), (iii) or (iv) of this section.

(3) Exemptions.

(i) Entrée items offered as part of the lunch or breakfast program. Any entrée item offered as part of the lunch program or the breakfast program under 7 CFR Part 220 is exempt from all competitive food standards if it is offered as a competitive food on the day of, or the school day after, it is offered in the lunch or breakfast program. Exempt entrée items offered as a competitive food must be offered in the same or smaller portion sizes as in the lunch or breakfast program. Side dishes offered as part of the lunch or breakfast program and served à la carte must meet the nutrition standards in this section.

(ii) Sugar-free chewing gum. Sugar-free chewing gum is exempt from all of the competitive food standards in this section and may be sold to students on the school campus during the school day, at the discretion of the local educational agency.

(d) Fruits and vegetables.

(1) Fresh, frozen and canned fruits with no added ingredients except water or packed in 100 percent fruit juice or light syrup or extra light syrup are exempt from the nutrient standards included in this section.

(2) Fresh and frozen vegetables with no added ingredients except water and canned vegetables that are low sodium or no salt added that contain no added fat are exempt from the nutrient standards included in this section.

(e) Grain products. Grain products acceptable as a competitive food must include 50 percent or more whole grains by weight or have whole grain as the first ingredient. Grain products must meet all of the other nutrient standards included in this section.

(f) Total fat and saturated fat.

(1) General requirements.

(i) The total fat content of a competitive food must be not more than 35 percent of total calories from fat per item as packaged or served, except as specified in paragraphs (f)(2) and (3) of this section.

(ii) The saturated fat content of a competitive food must be less than 10 percent of total calories per item as packaged or served, except as specified in paragraph (f)(3) of this section.

(2) Exemptions to the total fat requirement.

(i) Seafood with no added fat is exempt from the total fat requirement, but subject to the saturated fat,

trans fat,

sugar, calorie, and sodium standards.

(ii) Bean dip (as defined in paragraph (a)(7) of this section), is exempt from the total fat standard, but subject to the saturated fat, sugar, calorie, and sodium standards. This exemption does not apply to combination products that contain bean dip with other ingredients such as crackers, pretzels, pita, manufactured, snack-type vegetable and/or fruit sticks.

(3) Exemptions to the total fat and saturated fat requirements.

(i) Reduced fat cheese and part skim mozzarella cheese are exempt from the total fat and saturated fat standards, but subject to the trans fat, sugar, calorie, and sodium standards. This exemption does not apply to combination foods.

(ii) Nuts and Seeds seeds and Nutnut/Seed Butters seed butters are exempt from the total fat and saturated fat standards, but subject to the trans fat, sugar, calorie, and sodium standards. This exemption does not apply to combination products that contain nuts, nut butters or seeds, or nut/seed butters with other ingredients, such as peanut butter and crackers, trail mix, or chocolate covered peanuts, etc.

(iii) Products that consist of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat are exempt from the total fat, saturated fat, and sugar standards, but subject to the trans fat, calorie and sodium standards.

(iv) Whole eggs with no added fat are exempt from the total fat and saturated fat standards, but are subject to the trans fat, calorie and sodium standards.

(g) Trans fat. The trans fat content of a competitive food must be zero grams trans fat per portion as packaged or served (not more than 0.5 grams per portion).

(h)

Total sugars.

(1) General requirement. The total sugar content of a competitive food must be not more than 35 percent of weight per item as packaged or served, except as specified in paragraph (h)(2) of this section.

(2) Exemptions to the total sugar requirement.

(i) Dried whole fruits or vegetables; dried whole fruit or vegetable pieces; and dehydrated fruits or vegetables with no added nutritive sweeteners are exempt from the sugar standard, but subject to the total fat, saturated fat, calorie,

trans fat, calorie

and sodium standards. There is also an exemption from the sugar standard for dried fruits with nutritive sweeteners that are required for processing and/or palatability purposes

;

.

(ii) Products that consist of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat are exempt from the total fat, saturated fat, and sugar standards, but subject to the calorie

, trans fat,

and sodium standards

; and

.

(

i

h) Calorie and sodium content for snack items and side dishes sold as competitive foods. Snack items and side dishes sold as competitive foods must have not more than 200 calories and 200 mg of sodium per item as packaged or served, including the calories and sodium contained in any added accompaniments such as butter, cream cheese, salad dressing, etc., and must meet all of the other nutrient standards in this section.

Effective July 1, 2016, these

These snack items and side dishes must have not more than 200 calories and 200 mg of sodium per item as packaged or served.

(

j

i) Calorie and sodium content for entrée items sold as competitive foods. Entrée items sold as competitive foods, other than those exempt from the competitive food nutrition standards in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section, must have not more than 350 calories and 480 mg of sodium per item as packaged or served, including the calories and sodium contained in any added accompaniments such as butter, cream cheese, salad dressing, etc., and must meet all of the other nutrient standards in this section.

(

k

j) Caffeine. Foods and beverages available to elementary and middle school-aged students must be caffeine-free, with the exception of trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine substances. Foods and beverages available to high school-aged students may contain caffeine.

(

l

k) Accompaniments. The use of accompaniments is limited when competitive food is sold to students in school. The accompaniments to a competitive food item must be included in the nutrient profile as a part of the food item served in determining if an item meets all of the nutrition standards for competitive food as required in this section. The contribution of the accompaniments may be based on the average amount of the accompaniment used per item at the site.

(

m

l) Beverages —

(1) Elementary schools. Allowable beverages for elementary school-aged students are limited to:

(i) Plain water or plain carbonated water (no size limit);

(ii)

Low fat milk, flavored or unflavored (no more than 8 fluid ounces);

(iii) Non fat milk, flavored or unflavored (no more than 8 fluid ounces);

(iv) Nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted

Milk and fluid milk substitutes that meet the requirements outlined in § 210.10

and § 220.8 of this chapter (

(d)(1) and (2) (no more than 8 fluid ounces); and

(

v

iii) One hundred (100) percent fruit/vegetable juice, and 100 percent fruit

and

/

or

vegetable juice diluted with water

(

, with or without carbonation and with no added sweeteners

)

(no more than 8 fluid ounces).

(2) Middle schools. Allowable beverages for middle school-aged students are limited to:

(i) Plain water or plain carbonated water (no size limit);

(ii)

Low fat milk, flavored or unflavored (no more than 12 fluid ounces);

(iii) Non fat milk, flavored or unflavored (no more than 12 fluid ounces);

(iv) Nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted

Milk and fluid milk substitutes that meet the requirements outlined in § 210.10

and § 220.8 of this chapter (

(d)(1) and (2) (no more than 12 fluid ounces); and

(

v

iii) One hundred (100) percent fruit/vegetable juice, and 100 percent fruit

and

/

or

vegetable juice diluted with water

(

, with or without carbonation and with no added sweeteners

)

(no more than 12 fluid ounces).

(3) High schools. Allowable beverages for high school-aged students are limited to:

(i) Plain water or plain carbonated water (no size limit);

(ii)

Low fat milk, flavored or unflavored (no more than 12 fluid ounces);

(iii) Non fat milk, flavored or unflavored (no more than 12 fluid ounces);

(iv) Nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted

Milk and fluid milk substitutes that meet the requirements outlined in § 210.10

and § 220.8 of this chapter (

(d)(1) and (2) (no more than 12 fluid ounces);

(

v

iii) One hundred (100) percent fruit/vegetable juice, and 100 percent fruit

and

/

or

vegetable juice diluted with water

(

, with or without carbonation and with no added sweeteners

)

(no more than 12 fluid ounces);

(

vi

iv) Calorie-free, flavored water, with or without carbonation (no more than 20 fluid ounces);

(

vii

v) Other beverages that are labeled to contain less than 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or less than or equal to 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces (no more than 20 fluid ounces); and

(

viii

vi) Other beverages that are labeled to contain no more than 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces or 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces (no more than 12 fluid ounces).

(n) Implementation date. This section is to be implemented beginning on July 1, 2014.

[78 FR 39091, June 28, 2013, as amended at 81 FR 50151, July 29, 2016; 82 FR 56714, Nov. 30, 2017; 83 FR 63790, Dec. 12, 2018; 85 FR 74848, Nov. 24, 2020; 87 FR 7006, Feb. 7, 2022; 89 FR 32072, Apr. 25, 2024]