Tom Stenzel, the president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association, said in a news release Thursday that the Senate Appropriations Committee had reached a “sensible resolution” on changes to school meals, and that the full House Appropriations Committee at its markup next week of the fiscal year 2015 Agriculture appropriations bill should make changes to the bill passed by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.

The amendment offered by Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and John Hoeven, R-N.D., will “help schools adjust to some of the more technical requirements of the rules regarding sodium and whole grains, but preserves the critical importance of serving at least one half-cup of fruits and vegetables in school meals,” Stenzel said.

“In its consideration next week, we ask the full House Appropriations Committee, on a bipartisan basis, to strike the blanket variances allowing schools to opt out of all nutrition standards, which was passed this week by the Agriculture Subcommittee,” he said.

“USDA’s actions this week to address technical issues in the rules, and the Senate’s action … to support flexibility where it’s really needed, give relief to assist schools without rolling back the very basic principle that school meals need to include at least a half-cup of fruits and vegetables.”