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Contract feeders to support anti-obesity push

WASHINGTON The National Restaurant Association hailed the big three on-site foodservice providers Tuesday for joining first lady Michelle Obama in her quest to eliminate childhood obesity within a generation.

Officials from Compass Group North America, Aramark and Sodexo joined the first lady at the White House on Tuesday to launch her “Let’s Move” campaign. At the ceremony, the on-site companies pledged to support the administration's HealthierUS School Challenge by including more fruit, juices, vegetables, whole grains and milk in reimbursable school lunches.

The three on-site providers also said they would increase the number of foods in school lunches that meet the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for fat, sugar and whole grains over the next five years. They further agreed to increase the amount of nutritional education that is aimed at students and their parents.

“The restaurant and foodservice industry is proud to partner with the first lady to proactively advance child health,” said Dawn Sweeney, the NRA's president and chief executive. “We support flexible, voluntary efforts that encourage innovation by the industry as the best way to respond to consumer needs.”

Compass Group, Aramark and Sodexo said they were committed over the long term to working with suppliers to advance the goals of the program, including working to double the amount of produce offered in school meals during the next 10 years.

The three on-site companies collectively serve more than 750 million school meals a year.

Contact Elissa Elan at [email protected].

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