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

SR140

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

140

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE 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, 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)
�
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)
�
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 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