Potato power beats Obama's bid to spurn the spud
Source: Agencies |
October 20, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE United States Senate has thrown its support behind the potato, voting to block President Barack Obama's proposal to limit the vegetable in school lunches.
Proposed agriculture department rules aimed to reduce the amount of french fries in schools, limiting servings to twice a week for potatoes and other starchy vegetables.
This angered the potato industry, school districts and members of Congress from potato-growing states, who said the department should focus on preparation and that potatoes can be a good source of fiber and potassium.
Following a bipartisan agreement, the Senate accepted an amendment by Republican Senator Susan Collins that would block the department from putting limits on serving potatoes or other vegetables in school lunches.
Collins, who is from Maine, a potato-growing state, said the vegetables are a cheaper and nutritious way to feed children when school budgets are strapped. She said after the vote that it was a "victory for common sense."
Republicans have criticized the potato proposal, saying the government should not be dictating what children eat.
Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest Advocates, said: "The proposal was about helping children to eat a wide variety of vegetables and that point has been lost in all this. Other vegetables have a hard time competing with potatoes."
Critics said that the proposal ignores schools that have long since taken the "fry" out of french fry. Though they may be fried as part of initial processing, many schools are now preparing them with little grease and no crispiness, serving them as a healthier option.
The amendment is worded in such a way as to give the agriculture department flexibility in regulating the preparation of potatoes when it issues the final version of the school lunch rule.
Senator Mark Udall, of Colorado, another potato-growing state, said: "This amendment seeks to ensure flexibility for schools to provide nutritious and affordable school meals."
Proposed agriculture department rules aimed to reduce the amount of french fries in schools, limiting servings to twice a week for potatoes and other starchy vegetables.
This angered the potato industry, school districts and members of Congress from potato-growing states, who said the department should focus on preparation and that potatoes can be a good source of fiber and potassium.
Following a bipartisan agreement, the Senate accepted an amendment by Republican Senator Susan Collins that would block the department from putting limits on serving potatoes or other vegetables in school lunches.
Collins, who is from Maine, a potato-growing state, said the vegetables are a cheaper and nutritious way to feed children when school budgets are strapped. She said after the vote that it was a "victory for common sense."
Republicans have criticized the potato proposal, saying the government should not be dictating what children eat.
Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest Advocates, said: "The proposal was about helping children to eat a wide variety of vegetables and that point has been lost in all this. Other vegetables have a hard time competing with potatoes."
Critics said that the proposal ignores schools that have long since taken the "fry" out of french fry. Though they may be fried as part of initial processing, many schools are now preparing them with little grease and no crispiness, serving them as a healthier option.
The amendment is worded in such a way as to give the agriculture department flexibility in regulating the preparation of potatoes when it issues the final version of the school lunch rule.
Senator Mark Udall, of Colorado, another potato-growing state, said: "This amendment seeks to ensure flexibility for schools to provide nutritious and affordable school meals."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
