When the 2017/18 school year opens in late summer, public schools will not have to use more whole grains and less salt in their cafeteria meals unless they want to, and they will be allowed to sell 1 percent flavored milk, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Although he said he was giving schools more flexibility, consumer groups and lawmakers said Perdue was rolling back school-lunch reforms launched under an Obama-era initiative against child obesity.
The Republican-controlled Congress repeatedly has delayed the requirements to reduce sodium levels and use 100 percent whole grain products in school meals. Those requirements were part of the 2010 overhaul of child-nutrition programs that called for schools to serve more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy, and to cut back on salt, sugar and fat. More than 30 million children eat hot meals daily through the federally subsidized school lunch program.
“We’re just slowing down the process,” Perdue told reporters after eating lunch — chicken nuggets, a taquito, green salad and fruit cup — with four dozen fifth-grade students at Catoctin Elementary School in Leesburg, Va., 40 miles northwest of Washington. “We’re not winding back any nutrition standards at all.”
A chorus of critics declared Perdue’s decision to be a rollback. “Ninety percent of American kids eat too much sodium every day,” said the Center for Science in the Public Interest, so there is no reason to stop action on salt. Under Perdue’s plan, the lower-sodium rule will be postponed for three years, to 2020, and states can grant exemptions to the whole-grain rule in 2017/18 while USDA finds a long-term solution.
“Secretary Perdue has decided to put special interests ahead of the health of America’s children,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who joined Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jim McGovern in protesting Perdue’s decision. Ken Cook, of the Environmental Working Group, said Perdue was wrong to say palatability was as important nutrition standards: “Just because children would rather eat heavily salted, processed foods at school doesn’t mean they should.”
“We know meals can’t be nutritious if they’re dumped in the trash,” Perdue said during a news conference. The revisions in rules will result in “not only nutritious but nutritious and palatable meals,” he said. Schools say it is problematic to find enough whole grain products and some say students find the lower-sodium food to be too bland. There have been reports of students bringing their own salt shakers to the cafeteria.
As part of the visit to the Catoctin Elementary, Perdue signed a proclamation instructing USDA workers to implement the freeze on salt and whole grains and to allow 1 percent flavored milk in school; a ceremony reminiscent of President Trump signing executive orders that tell agencies to consider new regulations that will take effect later.
Two dozen parents, accompanied by a dozen young children, protested the school-lunch revisions outside of the school. They carried signs that said, “Keep school food healthy,” “Feed our kids well,” and “Fatty, salty, sugary food is unhealthy.”
“Thank goodness, we had a secretary that took action,” said Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts, who joined Perdue at the elementary school. “These are three ideas that make sense.”
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a child-nutrition bill last year that included a compromise on sodium and whole grains, but the bill never went to a floor vote nor did the House vote on its child-nutrition bill.
“At any rate, we’ll probably start again,” said Roberts. When reporters asked if the 2018 farm bill would come before the child-nutrition bill, the chairman said, “I’d like to do it sooner. I would really like to see this done.”