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Smart Snacks

As of school year 2014, federal guidelines required that all foods and beverages sold to students on the school campus during the school day must meet Smart Snacks standards​. This includes food or beverages sold in a la carte sales, vending machines, school stores, snack carts, and fundraisers.

Any entity selling food to students is required to maintain records, such as nutrition labels, and product specifications. In this context, 'school campus' refers to all areas of the property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students. A 'school day' begins at 12:01 a.m. and ends 30 minutes after the end of the official school day. ​​ 

This federal rule DOES NOT apply to:

  • Foods sold after school hours

  • Foods sold off school campus

  • Foods sold exclusively to adults

  • Foods given to students at no charge

  • Foods brought from home for student consumption

 Henry County Board of Education Policy, EED, Vending Machines states:

“All foods sold in Henry County School District will comply with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “Smart Snacks in School” nutrition standards.  This rule applies to all food sold during the school day which begins at 12:01 am and ends 30 minutes after the end of a scheduled school day.”  

Click here for the: Vending Machines/Smart Snacks Policy, Procedure, and Practice Reminders. HCS nutrition standards for all foods available to students can be found in the HCBOE approved wellness policy.

Fundraisers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a fundraiser as an event or activity during which students exchange currency/tokens/tickets, etc., for the sale/purchase of a product in support of the school or school-related activities. The Smart Snacks regulations apply only to products intended to be consumed during the school day. If the item being sold is a nonfood item or a food item that meets the Smart Snacks standards, it can be sold anytime.

Examples of fundraisers include:

  • Giving away food but suggesting a donation

  • Vending machine when the profits are used to support a school-sponsored club or activity such as the school band or football team

  • Special treats sold during lunch hour by a student organization

  • Bake sales offered to students

  • Pizza sold in the classroom

Fundraiser Exemptions

The Georgia State Board of Education approved 30 exempted fundraisers per school per school year not to exceed 3 days in length. However, there are time and place restrictions. Exempted fundraisers cannot operate anywhere on the school campus 30 minutes before until 30 minutes after the end of breakfast and lunch meal services.

Exempted fundraisers cannot be in school cafeterias, vending machines, school stores, snack bars or a la carte sales. Fundraisers occurring in these venues must meet the Smart Snacks standards. The rule went into effect on September 10, 2014, exempted fundraisers prior to that date are not allowed.

The Bottom Line

  • If a food or beverage meets the Smart Snacks guidelines, it can be sold anywhere, at any time on the school campus.

  • If a food or beverage does not meet the Smart Snacks guidelines, then it must be replaced with a compliant product, sold off school grounds, sold 30 minutes after the end of the official school day or be part of an approved, exempted fundraiser following the fundraiser exemption guidelines above.

School Requirements

  1. Schools are responsible for ensuring all products sold during the school day meet Smart Snack Guidelines

  2. Schools will ensure that approved exempted fundraiser items are sold only during allotted time frames

  3. Schools are responsible for maintaining records on all competitive foods and beverages sold at their school

    • Records include: a smart snack food inventory log, nutrition and product labels for all smart snacks sold, list of all non-exempt fundraisers, and an exempt fundraiser tracking sheet

    • Complete records should be delivered annually by the last official day of school to the School Nutrition Department Attn: Smart Snacks.  Failure to comply with regulations can result in public citations and financial penalties at the federal and state-level.

Tools & Resources

Federal/State Guidance