Food Service Guideline Policies on Local Government-Controlled Properties

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Urban Planning

Background:

• Local governments can enact food service guideline (FSG) policies to influence public health.
• FSG policies in large cities have the potential to impact millions of individuals.
• Assessing the attributes of existing FSG policies is crucial for understanding their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze food service guideline (FSG) policies in the 20 largest US cities.
• To evaluate these policies based on key attributes related to nutrition, behavioral design, implementation, and facility efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative research design utilizing municipal legal code libraries and other data sources.
• Policies enacted by December 31, 2016, were identified and reviewed.
• Analysis focused on the frequency of FSG policies and their alignment with a predefined classification tool.

Main Results:

• Six FSG policies across five of the 20 largest US cities met inclusion criteria.
• Five policies met a majority of assessed criteria, with overall alignment ranging from 17% to 88%.
• High alignment was observed for nutrition and implementation attributes; no policies met facility efficiency attributes.

Conclusions:

• FSG policies were identified in 5 out of 20 major US cities, with notable alignment in nutrition and implementation.
• Adopted FSG policies often align with key attributes, providing effective models for other jurisdictions.
• These findings suggest FSG policies are a viable strategy for enhancing healthier food access.