Students from 27 schools across four states will have more opportunities to eat fresh fruits and vegetables each day when they return to school this year, where they will find brand new salad bars in their school cafeterias.
The salad bars are being donated by Produce Marketing Association (PMA) as part of the organisation's support for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let's Move! campaign, and the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative.
The 27 salad bars, valued at more than US$70,000, are the latest part of the commitment announced by PMA earlier this year as an integral part of the association’s strategy to reinvest in its members’ future by building up children’s consumption of fresh produce.
They will beneift schools in California, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
Speaking at the opening general session of PMA’s Foodservice Conference in Monterey, PMA chairman Jan DeLyser stressed that “increasing consumption is a fundamental PMA goal'.
'We know that increasing overall fruit and vegetable consumption is good business for our industry and means better health for young consumers,' explained DeLyser. 'Getting these kids turned on to fruits and vegetables early in life helps ensure that they will develop healthful eating habits – and be our customers – for a lifetime. I encourage every one of you to consider what your company or you personally can do to contribute to this investment in our future.”
“PMA selected these states and these school districts because they are also close to the locations of major PMA events,” DeLyser added. “This is one way we can give back to the communities that welcome our industry back year after year while also building demand for our healthy products.”
