School lunch factions meet, look for solutions | Food and Environment Reporting Network

Obama administration officials suggested additional steps to help schools meet requirements to serve healthier meals during an hour-long meeting with nutrition, school and consumer groups. Sam Kass, senior nutrition advisor at the White House, said it was a “positive discussion” and Wendy Weyer of the School Nutrition Association said the meeting was “very solutions-oriented.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack raised the idea of a USDA “strike force” to identify why 10 percent of schools are unable to comply with the new food standards and to help the schools, according to one participant. In a statement, Vilsack said, “USDA will continue working side by side with schools, offering additional flexibility and resources where needed, including $48 million for training and technical assistance that continues to remain available to schools.”

The meeting grew out of a proposal in the House to give a one-year waiver to schools that have lost money for six months in a row on food service. The bill has been sidelined since last month.