Improving the Food Environment Through Nutrition Standards: A Guide for Government Procurement provides practical guidance to states and localities for use when developing, adopting, implementing, and evaluating a food procurement policy. For the purposes of this Guide, the term "food procurement policy" refers to a policy officially adopted by a state or local government (or a state or local government agency) requiring that the food it purchases, provides, or makes available contains key nutrients at levels that do not exceed standards established by public health authorities. Such a policy might, for example, define the maximum amount of sodium allowed in foods purchased, contracted for, or served by a day care center run with city dollars. In addition, procurement policies use the purchasing power of government to make an impact on food availability and add to the overall demand for more healthful products. Procurement policies can model healthier food environments, potentially drive the reformulation of foods, and have an impact on diverse settings (e.g., employee cafeterias, correctional facilities, schools, child care centers, public hospitals, senior centers, parks).