LAUSD Healthy Beverage Definition

All too often, policy makers act in haste when preparing nutrition legislation and resolutions. Simply removing carbonated beverages will do little to alleviate the nation's childhood obesity and diabetes epidemic. In fact, the dairy industry has now joined forces with the soda industry in creating flat, soda-like, milk beverages, some of which contain more calories than a bacon cheeseburger! Even though they contain artificial colors & flavors, are laden with cholesterol, saturated fats, antibiotics, hormones, and lots of sugar, they pass the litmus test for a "healthy beverage" in most policies because they contain dairy milk. After months of discussion and negotiations, the Los Angeles Unified School District completed its final draft of the Allowable Healthy Beverage List in June 2003. LAUSD has made an attempt to restrict the amount of additives allowed in beverages to avoid promoting these new milk cocktails. The following definition is far from perfect, but it's a big step in the right direction.

HEALTHY BEVERAGES: What's allowed, and what's not allowed, in LAUSD as of 1/1/04

Allowed Drinks Include:
1. FRUIT BASED DRINKS COMPOSED OF NO LESS THAN 50% FRUIT JUICES WITH NO ADDED SWEETENERS, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS OR COLORS (If juice concentrates are used, the prospective vendor must provide the dilution factor of the juice; i.e. 5 to 1, etc.)
2. DRINKING WATER WITH NO ADDITIVES EXCEPT THOSE MINERALS NORMALLY ADDED TO TAP WATER
3. MILK AND FLAVORED MILKS (The lacteal secretion from cows. Pasteurized fluid types of unflavored or flavored, low fat milk (1%), skim milk (fat-free), or cultured low fat or nonfat buttermilk, which meet state and local standards for milk. All milk should contain vitamins A and D at levels specified by the Food and Drug Administration and is consistent with state and local standards for such milk. See 7CFR Part 220.2); NO MORE THAN 18 GRAMS OF ADDED SWEETENER PER 8 OZ; NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER.
4. SOY MILK (fortified with calcium and B12 levels; 15% to 60% of the RDA); VITAMIN A AND D MAY BE ADDED; NO MORE THAN 18 GRAMS OF ADDED SWEETENER PER 8 OZ; NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER.
5. RICE MILK (fortified with calcium and B12 levels; 15% to 60% of the RDA); VITAMIN A AND D MAY BE ADDED; NO MORE THAN 18 GRAMS OF ADDED SWEETENER PER 8 OZ; NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER.
Other Alternatives Allowed:
1. ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT DRINKS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN MORE THAN 42 GRAMS OF ADDED SWEETENER PER 20 OUNCE SERVING; 20 OUNCE MAXIMUM VOLUME; (Sodium should not exceed 110 milligrams per 8 oz.; Potassium should not exceed 60 milligrams per 8 oz.; osmolality should not exceed 400 mOsm; Electrolytes and minerals added might include: sodium, potassium, chlorine and phosphorus; vitamins added are subject to approval of Nutrition Services Section of the Food Services Branch); NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS, COLORS OR SWEETENER.
2. CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES CONTAINING NATURALLY OCCURING CAFFEINE IN COCOA WITH LESS THAN 20 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OZ. SERVING; NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, FLAVORS OR COLORS.
3. DRINKING WATER WITH NO ADDITIVES EXCEPT THOSE MINERALS NORMALLY ADDED TO TAP WATER (carbonation without phosphoric acid is allowed); ESSENCES THAT ARE PURE FLAVOR AND AROMA PRODUCTS WITH A MAXIMUM DILUTION OF 0.5 TO 1 PER 1000 ARE ALLOWED; NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, FLAVORING OR COLORS.
4. FRUIT BASED DRINKS COMPOSED OF NO LESS THAN 50% FRUIT JUICES WITH NO ADDED SWEETENERS (If juice concentrates are used, the prospective vendor must provide the dilution factor of the juice; i.e. 5 to 1, etc); NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, FLAVORING OR COLORS; CARBONATION WITHOUT PHOSPHORIC ACID IS ALLOWED.
Not Allowed:
1. CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES CONTAINING MORE THAN 20 MILLIGRAMS OF CAFFEINE PER 12 OZ. SERVING INCLUDING COFFEE, TEA AND CHAI.
2. BEVERAGES CONTAINING ADDITIVES SUCH AS HERBAL AND NON-VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS (including but not limited to gingko biloba, ephedra, ginseng, guarana, mahuang, etc), FOOD COLORINGS AND FLAVORS NOT PROVEN SAFE BY THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.
3. BEVERAGES CONTAINING VITAMIN AND/OR MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CHROMIUM, MAGNESIUM, NIACIN, PANTOTHENIC ACID, B6, E, AND IRON.
4. CARBONATED SPORTS DRINKS
5. BEVERAGES IN GLASS BOTTLES

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