Good Day and thank you for the opportunity to coment .  I represent Stafford County School Nutrition .  Our program offers breakfast and lunch to 27,500 students feeding approximately 20,000 meals per day. Our population is 26% free and reduce price students.  Our meal offerings meet the new meal pattern and our menu's are certified under this program.  Meeting the new meal guidelines resulted in a significant increase in food  cost and a 7 % reduction in student participation. Offering the required foods is expensive and for students it appears not as popular.  The new Competitive Food Guidelines are welcome and hopefully will complement the new meal standards.  It is critical that the Competitive Food Guidelines for our state be the same as the Federal Guidelines.  Following all the requirements, communicating them and finding approved products would be extremely difficult and confusing if the State of Va developes different standards than the Federal Guidelines.  I do strongly recommend that the responsibility of implementation and monitoring compliance of these guidelines be the responsibility of the district Superintendent not a requirement run through the meal programs.  I hope moneytary incentives for compliance or fiscal penalties for non compliance for a division will be considered to improve success. Utilizing the Sch Health Advisory Committee including  high school students as part of the monitoring team will increase buy in and success. I also encourage the State of Va to continue to require that no competitive food or beverages be sold to during the meal periods anywhere accessable to students other than the NSLunch and Breakfast Programs.   Thank you,  C.E.Slye