School nutrition programs in perspective.

From a meager beginning with the passage in 1946 of the initial National School Lunch Act, school nutrition programs have grown until today they are "big business," employing some 350,000 persons in more than 89,000 units, and representing more than $1 billion in volume. As programs have expanded, the need for more professionalism in the field has been felt, and a number of educational and certifying programs have emerged. A new aspect, just being implemented as a result of 1977 legislation, is the nutrition education facet implicit in serving school meals. A driving force in meeting nutritional goals of school foodservice programs is the American School Food Service Association, an organization of some 67,000 members.