CINCINNATI – In a bipartisan show of support for the United Fresh Foundation’s A Salad Bar in Every School campaign, U.S. Representatives Steve Driehaus (OH-1) and Jean Schmidt (OH-2) will cheer the dedication of a new salad bar at Cincinnati’s Academy of World Languages on Monday, May 10. Joining Reps. Driehaus and Schmidt will be Chiquita Brands Chairman and CEO Fernando Aguirre, as well as Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Superintendent Mary Ronan and United Fresh Produce Association President and CEO Tom Stenzel.
In addition to the new salad bar at the Academy of World Languages, salad bars have also been added at Cincinnati’s Carson Elementary, Pleasant Ridge Montessori and John P. Parker Elementary Schools. Three of the salad bars were provided by the United Foundation’s Salad Bar in Every School campaign, thanks to a donation by Chiquita Brands. The fourth salad bar was purchased by CPS.
“This program is a tremendous opportunity for kids to make healthy choices in their daily diet,” said Rep. Schmidt. “The United Fresh Foundation’s A Salad Bar in Every School campaign is a great first step to fight obesity and start our children on the path to a healthy diet and a healthy life.”
“Access to healthy fruits and vegetables is a key component in helping kids lead healthy, active lifestyles,” said Rep. Driehaus. “I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of the Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act which will help put in place the tools needed to make this a reality for more kids in Cincinnati Public Schools and across the nation.”
Launched in February 2010 by the United Fresh Foundation, the Salad Bar in Every School campaign is a multi-year public health commitment from the fresh produce industry designed to bring fruit and vegetable salad bars to schools across America. In addition, the enhanced spotlight provided by First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign provides a unique and timely opportunity to promote school salad bars throughout the country and for the Congress to pass the Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009.
“I love the idea of ‘a salad bar in every school,’ and I want to thank Chiquita and United Fresh for helping to make that a reality,” said Ronan. “By encouraging our students to make salads for lunch with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, we’ll be teaching healthy eating habits that will keep students alert in classes and serve them well all their lives.”
“Research shows that children significantly increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables when their school has a fruit and vegetable salad bar,” said
United Fresh Vice President of Nutrition and Health Dr. Lorelei DiSogra. “Salad Bars provide children with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to try and this increased access helps them develop personal experiences that can shape their behavior far beyond the school lunch line. The goal is for children to develop a lifetime of healthy eating habits.”
“It is important for students to have increased access to fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables,” said Stenzel. “United Fresh has a long track record of success increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for children. Alongside the $1 billion federal commitment to national expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable School Snack Program and the launch of more than $750 million annually in fruit and vegetable vouchers for moms and children in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Salad Bar in Every School campaign truly has the produce industry poised to make a difference.”
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Founded in 1998, the United Fresh Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that offers specialized programs to meet members’ needs in educational training, leadership development, food safety outreach and industry research. Foundation programs are designed to promote knowledge, leadership and growth in the produce industry. The Foundation is an affiliate organization of the United Fresh Produce Association. For more information, visit www.unitedfresh.org
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products – from energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious blends of convenient green salads. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita® and Fresh Express® premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of $3.5 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 21,000 people and has operations in nearly 80 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit our corporate Web site at www.chiquitabrands.com.
