When it comes to food and drinks sold on city property, law makers in the state of California want to ensure that the healthy choice is also the easy choice. Introduced by assembly member Mitchell, A.B. 459 would require that food and beverages meet accepted nutritional guidelines if sold in a state-owned or state-leased building, or in a vending machine on state property. Check out the bill's status ...
Read MoreThe City of San Antonio is in the process of developing a new snack vending contract and have incorporated the Healthy Vending Guidelines into the contract. In 2002, the Health Collaborative developed and launched the “Fit City Healthy Vending Guidelines” which guided San Antonio’s healthy vending efforts for nearly a decade. In 2011 the Health Collaborative and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District came together to update and strengthen the guidelines in response to increasing obesity and diabetes rates throughout the community. They engaged a coalition of community and public health experts, dietitians, and food distributors to design the new “San Antonio Healthy Vending Guidelines”. The new guidelines include a set of specific nutrition criteria; as well as ...
Read MoreThe city of Seattle is helping to make the healthy choice the easy choice for residents. The Seattle City Council on March 4th 2013 unanimously adopted a bill requiring all vending machines operated on city property to stock at least 50 percent “healthier” and “healthiest” food and beverage selections as defined by Public Health Seattle & King County. Seattle’s Department of Parks and Recreation has led the way by successfully implementing the King County Healthy Vending Guidelines of “Healthier” and “Healthiest” choices in all vending machines in city park facilities in ...
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Read MoreOn February 5, 2013, State Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D- Laredo) introduced S.B. 403 that would establish a revolving loan fund to support low-income areas in need of grocery stores or healthy corner stores. This bill was introduced in response to the state-wide concern over “food deserts”, places where access to fresh fruits and vegetables is not easily available. Many minority communities, including Hispanic communities, find themselves living in these “food deserts”, without access to proper nutrition for their family. Check out the status of this bill ...
Read MoreIntroduced in 2011 as part of the Farm Bill, this act makes changes across a wide spectrum of food and farm policies to: promote small, beginning and sustainable farmers; expand local and institutional markets for growers; increase access to local and healthier food options, particularly for low-income populations; remove or reduce barriers to the purchase of locally grown and produced food by federal nutrition programs; and more. Some aspects of the bill have been incorporated in the House and/or Senate versions of the pending farm bill. Learn more about the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs ...
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC) has set exciting policy targets for 2012-2013. The purpose of the food policy council is to bring together leaders from across sectors, geographies, and socioeconomic communities to build new relationships and to strengthen, facilitate, and coordinate change. LAFPC is a collective impact initiative, working to make Southern California a Good Food region for everyone where food is healthy, affordable, fair and sustainable. LAFPC calls for a number of polices that would increase the number of healthy food retail outlets in underserved areas. They support policies that transform neighborhood markets and convenience stores in South and East Los Angeles into healthy food retailers. They also support policies that authorize street food vending in ...
Read MoreIn summer of 2012, Chicago City Council approved an ordinance that spurs small business development by encouraging new fresh, healthy food carts to operate in neighborhoods across the city, particularly underserved communities. Through funding made available by the USDA and a partnership with the Chicago Transit Authority(CTA), local non-profit Fresh Moves will double the mobile fresh food operations of its Mobile Market Bus, expanding its existing routes on the west side of Chicago to new routes in south side communities with the addition of another Mobile Market Bus. It is estimated that this will double the number of people who are able to access healthy, affordable and fresh fruits and vegetables through their Mobile Market Bus in areas that lack access to this basic nutrition. This ...
Read MoreTexas State Senator Jane Nelson (R- Flower Mound) introduced a bill (S.B. 133) that would allow the State to turn state-owned property into community food gardens. "Texas should take advantage of its unused land to promote local, fresh produce and encourage healthy-eating habits," Nelson said in reference to the bill. The bill is currently still in committee. Check out the status ...
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