Published: March 2017

ID #: 71639

Journal: J Sch Health

Authors: Polacsek M, O'Brien LM, Pratt E, Whatley-Blum J, Adler S

See more related research

Share


The goal of this study was to determine how to improve school marketing environments so that they align with new federal competitive food standards. The research team assessed the food marketing environments in three schools in Portland, Maine, using the food and beverage marketing in schools (FMBS) survey, and provided schools with technical assistance to help them bring their marketing environments to conform to federal competitive food regulations. Data were collected from each school at baseline, pre-intervention, and post-intervention. The completed pre-intervention surveys were used to inform the improvement process at each school, and revealed noncompliant marketing in all three schools pre-intervention. The research team worked with school administrators and wellness committees to create a feasible marketing removal action plan addressing the marketing found in the assessment and gaps between the existing environment and adherence to new guidelines. Noncompliant marketing was inexpensively removed using a variety of methods, and with assistance from product distributors and the Portland public health department.

Related Research

February 2014

Investigating How to Align Schools’ Marketing Policies with Federal Standards for Competitive Foods

Little is known about school-based digital marketing and how to help schools comply with model policies given new competitive food standards. The specific aims of this study are to: 1) assess the different forms of digital food and beverage marketing that may occur in school settings; 2) assess whether school marketing environments in Portland, Maine, More

December 2025

From Policy to Plate: Implications of 2025 U.S. Federal Policy Changes on School Meals

School meals are a cornerstone of the United States’ nutrition safety net for children from low-income families, providing nearly 30 million lunches daily. However, recent U.S. policy actions may limit access to school meals for children who need them most. This commentary, published in the Nutrients Special Issue The Influence of School Meals on Children More

December 2025

Ultra-Processed Foods in School Meals: Challenges and Opportunities

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are ubiquitous in the U.S. food supply, while growing evidence shows that UPFs harm children’s health. Schools offer a promising setting to introduce UPF regulation and reduce the availability of UPFs. This brief explores the issue of UPFs in school meals and identifies opportunities and challenges to replace UPFs with more fresh More