Managing sales of beverages in schools to preserve profits and improve children's nutrition intake in 15 Mississippi schools.

School environments that provide consistent and reliable nutrition information promote the development of healthful eating in children. High-energy, nutrient-poor beverages offered for sale to children during the school day compete with healthful choices. The primary objective of this prospective, quasiexperimental study was to encourage children to choose more healthful beverages during the school day without adversely affecting the profits realized from vending sales. Fifteen of 18 schools completed voluntary changes to beverage sales practices during the school day between August 2005 and May 2006. Twelve of 15 schools reported increased profits from the previous year (2004-2005) while offering more healthful beverage choices at discounted prices. Units of carbonated soft drinks sold declined when sports drinks, 100% fruit juice, and water were made available in their place. Passive marketing in the form of vending machine fronts, attractive pricing with a nominal 10% to 25% discount, and changing the types and proportions of beverages offered encouraged children to make more healthful choices. Local school administrators were receptive to making changes to beverage sales when local needs were incorporated into the study design. Profit information from this study informed state legislators and the Mississippi State Board of Education in the development and adoption of statewide snack and beverage vending guidelines. Registered dietitians serve as advocates to foster these collaborative efforts, inform key decision makers, and work in their local communities to develop and promote healthful practices in K-12 school settings.

Epifluorescence microscopy and image analysis of high-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in soils.

Interactions between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soil are an important determinant of their chemical availability and transport. Laboratory examination of microscale PAH-soil interaction is limited by the availability of methods for particle-scale observation. Inverted epifluorescence microscopy, combined with digital photography and computer image analysis, was evaluated for specificity and linearity using dissolved PAHs. A pyrene filter (excitation wavelength, 360-400 nm; emission wavelength, 450-520 nm) gave nonspecific PAH fluorescence, and bias for fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and benz[a]anthracene was quantified in comparison to that for pyrene. Concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 mM for anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene and from 1 to 50 mM for naphthalene produced a linear response with low interpixel variability. Liquid-phase analyses validated use of the technique for the descriptive analysis of PAH distribution in solid samples, but liquid-phase calibration was not quantitative for spiked or field-contaminated soils. The mean luminance for three field soils was proportional to the values predicted from their chemically measured concentrations and to values from spiked, aged, uncontaminated materials. Image analysis of laboratory- and field-contaminated samples determined the area distribution of fluorescent intensity and the size of fluorescent areas exceeding a threshold luminance. These qualitative descriptions of the microscale spatial distribution of PAH contamination are presented as potential endpoints for future research on biogeochemical interactions in heavily contaminated solids.

Prevalence of food production systems in school foodservice.

OBJECTIVE: What is the prevalence of central kitchens that use either cook-chill or cook-freeze production systems in school foodservice settings? DESIGN: A descriptive study using a 5-minute telephone survey during normal working hours was conducted. Questions were designed to be easily answered with minimal need to reference other documentation. SUBJECTS: Five hundred forty school foodservice directors, managers, and supervisors working in school districts of all sizes across the United States were randomly sampled from a national commercial directory of school districts for the study. A total of 353 individuals completed the survey representing 49 of 50 states. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Means, standard deviations, and percentages were evaluated for all data collected. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Descriptive statistics of school district characteristics, prevalence of production systems, food transport systems, inventory methods and equipment used for reheating food are reported. RESULTS: The most frequently reported production system was on-site kitchens (45.3%) followed by combination production systems (40.5%) where a central kitchen delivered to a number of satellite locations in addition to schools with on-site food preparation. Central kitchens without additional on-site kitchens represented 14.2% of this study. Of those school districts using either central kitchens or combination production systems, 78% reported hot-food preparation using hot-food delivery to satellites. Cook-chill or cook-freeze production systems were reported by 22% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The high proportion of school districts that prepared and delivered foods hot to satellite sites supports continuing efforts to identify food safety practices and issues related to maintaining food quality in schools.