REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CREATE A PLAN THAT REMOVES CARCINOGENS FROM SCHOOL MEALS.

SCR148

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

148

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the department of education to create a plan
that removes carcinogens from school meals
.

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WHEREAS, the
World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer has
classified processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen because there is sufficient
evidence that it causes cancer in humans; and

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WHEREAS,
processed meats include any meat that has been modified through salting,
curing, fermenting, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve
preservation; and

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WHEREAS,
processed meats include hot dogs, bacon, deli meats, ham, and pepperoni; and

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WHEREAS,
processed meats often contain sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate as preservatives
and color fixatives, and in the body, or during high-heat cooking, these
compounds can form nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens; and

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WHEREAS,
children are especially vulnerable to the long-term health impacts of poor
diet, including increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart
disease, and obesity; and

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WHEREAS, the
Department of Education administers school meal programs that serve tens of
thousands of breakfasts and lunches daily, some of which contain processed
meats; and

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WHEREAS,
providing students with healthier meals would support their academic
performance, physical development, and long-term well-being; and

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WHEREAS,
several school systems nationwide have already taken steps to reduce or
eliminate processed meats from their menus, demonstrating that such a
transition is feasible; now, therefore,

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BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the
Department of Education is requested to create a plan to transition school
meals away from processed meats and toward fiber-rich proteins, completely
eliminating processed meats by 2032 or at least offering a whole-foods, scratch
made, or minimally processed plant-based alternative to processed meats; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the plan include:

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(1)
�
An inventory of existing school menu items
containing processed meats;

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(2)
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A proposed timeline for the reduction and
eventual phase-out of processed meats, or the offering of a whole-foods,
scratch made, or minimally processed plant-based alternative to processed
meats;

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(3)
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Nutritional standards and sourcing guidelines
for replacement options; and

(4)
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Estimated costs and funding opportunities to
support the transition; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report of
its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the
Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular
Session of 2027; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to
the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of
Education, Director of Health, and Director of the School Food Services Branch
of the Department of Education.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

DOE;
School Meals; Carcinogens