Vending fare going healthful

"Forty-60 is better than what we've been doing," said Linda Burrell, supervisor of child nutrition in Provo, who was part of a committee that formed the new policy.

Provo's policy also requires healthier foods be placed in more prominent positions in vending machines, and foods with minimal nutritional value cannot be advertised anywhere in schools except on the machines or on scoreboards.

Pricing cannot discourage the purchase of nutritious foods, according to the Provo policy.

"Pop can't be cheaper than juice. They just have to raise the price of the pop. They can't lower the price of the juice because it lowers the profit margin," said Sandy Packard, a member of Provo's Board of Education.

Burrell will retire later this week from Provo after 29 years of working in child nutrition. In that time, she has seen students' waistlines expand. And that, in effect, is the major reason for the federal legislation: to combat obesity in American children.

"We're starting small and every year we're going to get better and better. And eventually we won't have any (junk food) in there," Burrell said.

Packard is convinced that health classes can help.

"By their own free will, if they decide to abandon it; it is the best solution of all," she said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com