Collins backs potatoes, asks for rewrite of school meal rule
By JERRY HAGSTROM
A long-standing behind-the-scenes battle over the Obama administration’s writing of the rule governing food served in the school lunch and breakfast programs broke into the open today when Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged the Agriculture Department to rewrite the proposed rule to make it easier to serve white potatoes and other starchy vegetables or face legislative restrictions.
Using authority under the new Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, the Agriculture Department has issued a proposed rule on the content of school lunch and breakfasts that it says would bring those meals into conformity with recommendations from the Institutes of Medicine, which says children should have more leafy green vegetables and fruit, low-fat dairy and meat products and fewer starchy vegetables and less sodium and fat.
The proposed rule is so restrictive, Collins said at a news conference with the National Potato Council, that if a school were to serve corn on the cob on Monday it could not serve a medium-size baked potato later in the week, or any chowder or stew that contains any potatoes or corn.
“The department’s rule simply goes too far,” said Collins, who represents one of the country’s most important potato growing states. “The white potato is not getting the credit it deserves,” she added, noting the nutritional benefits of fiber and more potassium than bananas.
Some school meal administrators have said they are concerned the restriction on potatoes and other changes would increase costs in the midst of the recession, while others are backing it. Some companies that provide processed foods to the schools have said USDA is trying to remove sodium from meals too quickly.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon said in an email today, “We believe our proposed standards are paid for, better for kids, and many schools are already there.”
Concannon has said previously that he is reviewing all the comments and that the rule will be fair to both nutrition interests and industry.
Collins said she has appealed to Concannon, a Maine native, to reconsider the rule, but that she has not received enough reassurances so far.
The House-passed Agriculture appropriations bill contains report language urging USDA to rewrite the rule. Collins said today she expects the issue to come up on the Senate floor later this month, when the fiscal year 2012 Agriculture appropriations bill comes up for consideration.
At a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee meeting last month, Collins said she had written an amendment that would force the agency to rewrite the rule.
But today she told The Hagstrom Report, “I don’t like taking the legislative route. There are some parts of the overall rule that are good," including the goal of children eating of more vegetables and whole grains.
“It would be great if they [rewrote the rule] before the Agriculture appropriations bill comes up on the Senate floor,” Collins said, but added that she is worried if she does not act when the appropriations bill comes up she will not have another chance.
The issue has caused conflict within United Fresh, the national lobby that represents fruit and vegetable growers, including potato growers. United Fresh has taken the position that the writing of the rule should be left up to USDA, which it trusts to come up with a fair rule. The National Potato Council has encouraged congressional intervention. United Fresh is meeting in Washington this week, which is also National School Lunch Week.
The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity has urged USDA to follow the Institutes of Medicine recommendations and to make the rules for school meals line up with the nation’s dietary guidelines. Its members include the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association, the American Heart Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and United Fresh.
A USDA background paper says an estimate that the changes could cost roughly $6.8 billion over the next five years “is a high-end estimate” based on the assumption that children will take everything that is offered to them in the lunch line.
The USDA paper also says that “the child nutrition bill already provides more than enough money for schools to meet the new standards. In addition to an extra 6 cents per meal reimbursement, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act includes common-sense reforms to school food businesses that USDA estimates will provide an additional $7.5 billion in revenues — $700 million more than the cost of the meal pattern. USDA also estimates that these reforms will result in an additional 800,000 children newly participating in school meals.”
Some school administrators have noted that the 6 cents will not cover all costs, and criticized the idea of raising meal prices for middle-class children so that they cover more of the cost, while others have endorsed the changes.
Janie Thornton, Concannon’s deputy, said in an article published in The Hill today, “We are listening to everyone and we know that there is still work to do. Given the chance, we will be able to fulfill our commitment to develop science-based nutrition standards that are practical for schools and reinforce the healthy eating habits that begin at home.”
But she added, "We have to stay the course. … School nutrition improvements are an investment in our children’s future. We must not miss this opportunity to provide the nutritious food and promote the healthier lifestyles our children deserve.”
A long-standing behind-the-scenes battle over the Obama administration’s writing of the rule governing food served in the school lunch and breakfast programs broke into the open today when Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged the Agriculture Department to rewrite the proposed rule to make it easier to serve white potatoes and other starchy vegetables or face legislative restrictions.
Using authority under the new Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, the Agriculture Department has issued a proposed rule on the content of school lunch and breakfasts that it says would bring those meals into conformity with recommendations from the Institutes of Medicine, which says children should have more leafy green vegetables and fruit, low-fat dairy and meat products and fewer starchy vegetables and less sodium and fat.
The proposed rule is so restrictive, Collins said at a news conference with the National Potato Council, that if a school were to serve corn on the cob on Monday it could not serve a medium-size baked potato later in the week, or any chowder or stew that contains any potatoes or corn.
“The department’s rule simply goes too far,” said Collins, who represents one of the country’s most important potato growing states. “The white potato is not getting the credit it deserves,” she added, noting the nutritional benefits of fiber and more potassium than bananas.
Some school meal administrators have said they are concerned the restriction on potatoes and other changes would increase costs in the midst of the recession, while others are backing it. Some companies that provide processed foods to the schools have said USDA is trying to remove sodium from meals too quickly.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon said in an email today, “We believe our proposed standards are paid for, better for kids, and many schools are already there.”
Concannon has said previously that he is reviewing all the comments and that the rule will be fair to both nutrition interests and industry.
Collins said she has appealed to Concannon, a Maine native, to reconsider the rule, but that she has not received enough reassurances so far.
The House-passed Agriculture appropriations bill contains report language urging USDA to rewrite the rule. Collins said today she expects the issue to come up on the Senate floor later this month, when the fiscal year 2012 Agriculture appropriations bill comes up for consideration.
At a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee meeting last month, Collins said she had written an amendment that would force the agency to rewrite the rule.
But today she told The Hagstrom Report, “I don’t like taking the legislative route. There are some parts of the overall rule that are good," including the goal of children eating of more vegetables and whole grains.
“It would be great if they [rewrote the rule] before the Agriculture appropriations bill comes up on the Senate floor,” Collins said, but added that she is worried if she does not act when the appropriations bill comes up she will not have another chance.
The issue has caused conflict within United Fresh, the national lobby that represents fruit and vegetable growers, including potato growers. United Fresh has taken the position that the writing of the rule should be left up to USDA, which it trusts to come up with a fair rule. The National Potato Council has encouraged congressional intervention. United Fresh is meeting in Washington this week, which is also National School Lunch Week.
The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity has urged USDA to follow the Institutes of Medicine recommendations and to make the rules for school meals line up with the nation’s dietary guidelines. Its members include the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association, the American Heart Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and United Fresh.
A USDA background paper says an estimate that the changes could cost roughly $6.8 billion over the next five years “is a high-end estimate” based on the assumption that children will take everything that is offered to them in the lunch line.
The USDA paper also says that “the child nutrition bill already provides more than enough money for schools to meet the new standards. In addition to an extra 6 cents per meal reimbursement, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act includes common-sense reforms to school food businesses that USDA estimates will provide an additional $7.5 billion in revenues — $700 million more than the cost of the meal pattern. USDA also estimates that these reforms will result in an additional 800,000 children newly participating in school meals.”
Some school administrators have noted that the 6 cents will not cover all costs, and criticized the idea of raising meal prices for middle-class children so that they cover more of the cost, while others have endorsed the changes.
Janie Thornton, Concannon’s deputy, said in an article published in The Hill today, “We are listening to everyone and we know that there is still work to do. Given the chance, we will be able to fulfill our commitment to develop science-based nutrition standards that are practical for schools and reinforce the healthy eating habits that begin at home.”
But she added, "We have to stay the course. … School nutrition improvements are an investment in our children’s future. We must not miss this opportunity to provide the nutritious food and promote the healthier lifestyles our children deserve.”
