House File 341 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 341 BY SHIPLEY A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting the use of margarine and hydrogenated 1 vegetable oil in school meals. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2184YH (4) 90 dg/jh

H.F. 341 Section 1. Section 283A.1, subsection 1, Code 2023, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. “Nutritionally adequate meal” means a lunch or breakfast 3 which meets the guidelines established by the department of 4 education. Such guidelines shall prohibit the use of margarine 5 or hydrogenated vegetable oil as part of a nutritionally 6 adequate meal. The guidelines shall instead provide for the 7 use of butter, provided that coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive 8 oil may be substituted for butter when necessary to accommodate 9 a student’s dietary restrictions. 10 Sec. 2. STUDENT CONSUMPTION OF MARGARINE AND HYDROGENATED 11 VEGETABLE OIL —— LEGISLATIVE INTENT. The general assembly 12 finds that the proliferation of margarine and hydrogenated 13 vegetable oil is hindering the growth and development of 14 healthy children. As such, the general assembly further finds 15 that schools should serve or prepare food with butter as a part 16 of a nutritionally adequate meal when appropriate and coconut 17 oil, avocado oil, or olive oil when necessary to accommodate a 18 student’s dietary restrictions. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill prohibits the serving of margarine and 23 hydrogenated vegetable oil at schools. 24 Currently, school breakfast and lunch programs may only 25 serve foods that are deemed a nutritionally adequate meal by 26 department of education (DE) guidelines. The bill prohibits DE 27 guidelines from determining that any food containing margarine 28 or hydrogenated vegetable oil is a nutritionally adequate meal. 29 The bill requires the guidelines to instead provide for the use 30 of butter, provided that coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil 31 may be substituted for butter when necessary to accommodate a 32 student’s dietary restrictions. 33 The bill states findings by the general assembly relating to 34 children’s consumption of margarine and hydrogenated vegetable 35 -1- LSB 2184YH (4) 90 dg/jh 1/ 2

H.F. 341 oil. 1 -2- LSB 2184YH (4) 90 dg/jh 2/ 2