US Agriculture Secretary To Ease School Nutrition Rules

The US Department of Agriculture has made public that US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is set to announce a new, interim rule on that will reportedly relax federal standards on school meal nutrition.

Perdue will reportedly unveil the plan during a May 1 honorary visit to a Virginia elementary school where he will share a school lunch with Republican Senator Pat Roberts, as well as students.

A report by Education Week speculates that the interim rule will pertain to many of the provisions laid out in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which contains stipulations to limit the salt and fat content in school food.

One study published in January, 2016 demonstrated that the Act was associated with a “significant improvement in the nutritional quality of foods chosen by students,” according to The JAMA Network.

In spite of this, the reportedly upcoming measure may prove to be a boon for GOP lawmakers and certain advocacy groups who have historically blasted strict regulations for their high price tag.

Many school nutrition standards currently targeted by Republicans were results of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity, according to The Hill.

The interim rule is one of a number past attempts to loosen federal nutrition standards, including a failed bill introduced by Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Roberts that would have given a two-year extension for schools to meet sodium reduction objectives.

In an April 6 letter to the USDA, Senator Roberts argued that current regulations “have limited the flexibility of school foodservice providers, led to declining participation in the program, increased food waste in school cafeterias, and caused confusion regarding what foods can be used in fundraisers and extracurricular activities.”

“I urge you to act administratively and provide immediate relief from certain egregious aspects of the standards, particularly in regards to the rapidly approaching sodium limits and the dairy and whole grain requirements. After providing immediate relief, I urge you to provide long-term flexibility and certainty for our schools, our school foodservice directors, and other stakeholders.”

In response to the news of the interim rule, the CEO of the American Heart Association countered back by maintaining that there are things that should be prioritized over cost cutting.

“Improving children’s health should be a top priority for the USDA, and serving more nutritious foods in schools is a clear-cut way to accomplish this goal,” said AHA CEO Nancy Brown.

“Rather than altering the current path forward, we hope the agency focuses more on providing technical assistance that can help schools get across the finish line, if they haven’t done so already.”

Sources: The Hill, Education Week, The JAMA Network/Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr