Mohave Daily News: Local

SACRAMENTO - Sodas are fizzing out and tougher nutrition standards are coming in at California schools.

Two bills that take effect Sunday will phase out the sale of sodas in high schools and, with some exceptions, limit calories, saturated fat, salt and sugar in snacks sold at elementary, junior high and high school campuses.

The measures are an attempt to reduce childhood obesity and are among several laws that go into effect midyear. The statutes also include measures that implement a plastic bag recycling program, boost recycling fees paid by consumers on beverage containers and create a state Department of Public Health.

California laws usually take effect on Jan. 1 of the year after they are enacted, but sometimes implementation is delayed to give those who enforce or who are affected by the statutes additional time to prepare.

The school nutrition bills grew out of former Sen. Martha Escutia's struggles with gestational diabetes when she had her second child eight years ago. Her research on diabetes and its links to obesity led to a 6 1/2-year campaign against school junk food.

One of Escutia's bills implements nutrition standards for elementary school food. They were adopted in 2001 but were held up by a requirement that the state also increase funding for school meals.

Those standards, with some exceptions for nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables, limit the amount of salt, saturated fat, sugar and calories in snack items sold to elementary students during morning and afternoon breaks.

The measure also imposes similar requirements for junior high and high school snacks and puts limits on fat and calories in secondary school entrees.

The other Escutia bill phases out the sale of sodas at high schools, implementing requirements already in place at elementary and junior high schools.

Starting Sunday, the bill requires that at least half the drinks sold immediately before, during and after school consist of fruit and vegetable drinks without added sweeteners, bottled water, low- or nonfat milk, nondairy milk and sports drinks. The electrolyte-replacing drinks can have no more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20-ounce bottle.

Beginning July 1, 2009, all beverages sold at high schools will have to meet those requirements, although the bill allows exceptions for sporting events and other after-school extracurricular events.

Escutia, a Norwalk Democrat who was termed out of the Senate last year, said her legislation isn't a ‘‘silver bullet'' that will ensure children will eat healthy diets.