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Cafeteria Vendor Launches Program to Enhance School Nutrition
School food and nutrition services provider Aramark has launched a program to improve the nutritional value of school cafeteria menu options, United Press International reports. The program, dubbed Cool*Caf, features a menu that exceeds nutrition guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and includes a fruit and salad bar to improve students’ access to healthy foods. As part of Cool*Caf, Aramark incorporates bright colors, animation and student-inspired themes into cafeteria design and produces posters and educational materials to teach children about nutrition. Aramark will promote the importance of nutrition, exercise and adequate sleep through monthly programs with live shows, posters and other materials for students. In a pilot project conducted in 16 schools last fall, some participating schools reported a 50 percent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption among students. The program will expand this month to 60 elementary schools and will grow to include several hundred schools by fall (UPI, 1/21/09; Brown, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1/21/09; Aramark release, 1/8/09).