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Midwestern Senators: School Lunch Program Should Feed Kids Fresh Red Meat and Pork
The federal school lunch program should encourage the consumption of meat, according to two Democratic senators who are sponsoring legislation to eliminate junk food from schools.
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Two Democratic senators who are sponsoring legislation to allow the Agriculture Department to set standards for what kind of food schools can serve, say the law should encourage the consumption of meat.
“We need more fresh meat and poultry for our schools, not processed meat,” Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Harkin has introduced the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, which is aimed at renovating the national nutritional guidelines for food served at U.S. public schools.
“The processed meats are high in sugar, they are high in sodium, they got all kinds of junk in them,” he told CNSNews.com at a news conference Wednesday.
“We need fresh meat, fresh pork, fresh chicken grown locally in our schools, not the processed meats,” he added.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who is a co-sponsor of the bill, echoed Harkin’s sentiment that eating meat at school lunches should be encouraged.
“Well, yeah,” Sen. Klobuchar told CNSNews.com. “Part of this should be to support our food in our country and that means beef, pork, apples, our vegetables, our corn, everything that we have in our country and to really have that natural home grown food.”
Harkin and Klobuchar’s comments were in response to CNSNews.com’s question: Should the School Protection Act encourage consumption of American beef and pork?
The senators appeared at a news briefing sponsored by the Healthy School Food Brigade, a coalition calling on Congress to eliminate junk food served in schools by passing the School Lunch Protection Act, as lawmakers begin to consider reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, which will expire this year.
Not everyone shared Harkin’s and Klobuchar’s endorsement of meat.
Barbara Kowalcyk, an invited speaker at the news conference, blamed meat for the death of her 2-1/2-year-old son from complications of an E-coli infection.
“My 2-1/2-year-old son Kevin died from complications due to an E. coli 0157: H7 infection that was most likely contracted from eating contaminated ground meat,” Kowalcyk, director of food safety for the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, said.
She equated meat to junk food.
“Parents simply have to be able to count on our government and on our schools to give our kids healthy, safe, food and nutritious choices. We owe our kids a healthy future. It’s nearly impossible for kids to get that when they’re constantly tempted with junk food at school,” she said.
Harkin also condemned junk food.
“According to the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, 99 percent of high schools, 97 percent of middle schools, 83 percent of elementary schools offer foods through vending machines, a la carte, and school stores,” said Sen. Harkin.
He pointed out that the majority of the food sold from the venues that the GAO report refers to are unhealthy foods, high in calories and fat.
Current federal legislative nutrition guidelines, which are overseen by the Department of Agriculture, only apply to food served inside the school cafeteria, excluding vending machines, a la carte, and school stores.
According to the guidelines, “foods of minimal nutritional value” may not be sold inside a school’s cafeteria. The School Lunch Protection Act would direct the Department of Agriculture to update the nutrition rules for foods sold outside the cafeteria.
“Obesity and related health problems impose enormous costs on our children and the health care system that treats them,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a prime sponsor of the bill with Harkin.
“The situation has gotten far worse in recent years,” Murkowski said. “The rate of childhood obesity has gone from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 2006. That is troubling because obese youth are more likely to have problems with heart disease, Type II diabetes, strokes and bone and joint problems.”
According to supporters of the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, national nutrition standards have remained the same since the Department of Agriculture implemented them in the 1970s.
Updated nutritional standards would yield healthier kids by diminishing obesity cases which in turn will bring down the amount of money spent on obesity-related health problems, Harkin said.
“Modernizing and strengthening school lunch programs are a vital part of our efforts to fight hunger, improve children’s health, and boost education and learning,” he added.
Ironically, the American Institute for Cancer Research issued a report which claims that the consumption of red meat by children can lead to health problems, and cam be contributing factor to heart disease and cancer.
The Feb. 26 report issued in conjunction with the World Cancer Research Fund counsels individuals to "Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meat."
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh
“We need more fresh meat and poultry for our schools, not processed meat,” Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Harkin has introduced the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, which is aimed at renovating the national nutritional guidelines for food served at U.S. public schools.
“The processed meats are high in sugar, they are high in sodium, they got all kinds of junk in them,” he told CNSNews.com at a news conference Wednesday.
“We need fresh meat, fresh pork, fresh chicken grown locally in our schools, not the processed meats,” he added.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who is a co-sponsor of the bill, echoed Harkin’s sentiment that eating meat at school lunches should be encouraged.
“Well, yeah,” Sen. Klobuchar told CNSNews.com. “Part of this should be to support our food in our country and that means beef, pork, apples, our vegetables, our corn, everything that we have in our country and to really have that natural home grown food.”
Harkin and Klobuchar’s comments were in response to CNSNews.com’s question: Should the School Protection Act encourage consumption of American beef and pork?
The senators appeared at a news briefing sponsored by the Healthy School Food Brigade, a coalition calling on Congress to eliminate junk food served in schools by passing the School Lunch Protection Act, as lawmakers begin to consider reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, which will expire this year.
Not everyone shared Harkin’s and Klobuchar’s endorsement of meat.
Barbara Kowalcyk, an invited speaker at the news conference, blamed meat for the death of her 2-1/2-year-old son from complications of an E-coli infection.
“My 2-1/2-year-old son Kevin died from complications due to an E. coli 0157: H7 infection that was most likely contracted from eating contaminated ground meat,” Kowalcyk, director of food safety for the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, said.
She equated meat to junk food.
“Parents simply have to be able to count on our government and on our schools to give our kids healthy, safe, food and nutritious choices. We owe our kids a healthy future. It’s nearly impossible for kids to get that when they’re constantly tempted with junk food at school,” she said.
Harkin also condemned junk food.
“According to the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, 99 percent of high schools, 97 percent of middle schools, 83 percent of elementary schools offer foods through vending machines, a la carte, and school stores,” said Sen. Harkin.
He pointed out that the majority of the food sold from the venues that the GAO report refers to are unhealthy foods, high in calories and fat.
Current federal legislative nutrition guidelines, which are overseen by the Department of Agriculture, only apply to food served inside the school cafeteria, excluding vending machines, a la carte, and school stores.
According to the guidelines, “foods of minimal nutritional value” may not be sold inside a school’s cafeteria. The School Lunch Protection Act would direct the Department of Agriculture to update the nutrition rules for foods sold outside the cafeteria.
“Obesity and related health problems impose enormous costs on our children and the health care system that treats them,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a prime sponsor of the bill with Harkin.
“The situation has gotten far worse in recent years,” Murkowski said. “The rate of childhood obesity has gone from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 2006. That is troubling because obese youth are more likely to have problems with heart disease, Type II diabetes, strokes and bone and joint problems.”
According to supporters of the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, national nutrition standards have remained the same since the Department of Agriculture implemented them in the 1970s.
Updated nutritional standards would yield healthier kids by diminishing obesity cases which in turn will bring down the amount of money spent on obesity-related health problems, Harkin said.
“Modernizing and strengthening school lunch programs are a vital part of our efforts to fight hunger, improve children’s health, and boost education and learning,” he added.
Ironically, the American Institute for Cancer Research issued a report which claims that the consumption of red meat by children can lead to health problems, and cam be contributing factor to heart disease and cancer.
The Feb. 26 report issued in conjunction with the World Cancer Research Fund counsels individuals to "Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meat."
