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Pizza sauce is a vegetable, lawmakers say

Under influence from the frozen food industry, lawmakers have moved to protect schools' ability to count pizza sauce as a vegetable in school lunches.

By Agence France-PresseWed, Nov 16 2011 at 1:23 PM EST
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school cafeteria pizza
VEGETABLE?: USDA rules define a full serving of vegetables as eight tablespoons except for a loophole that sets the amount of tomato paste required at two tablespoons, roughly what goes on a pizza slice. (Photo: orphanjones/flickr)
Never mind the obesity crisis: Lawmakers prodded by the frozen food industry have moved to protect schools' ability to count pizza sauce as a vegetable in lunches for students.
 
In an annual spending bill covering the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has oversight over subsidized school meals, a joint House-Senate panel voted to prevent the agency from restricting pizza, fries, and starchy vegetables.
 
A Republican summary of the legislation, which was unveiled Monday and may be approved this week, cheered the defeat of "overly burdensome and costly regulations" and hailed "greater flexibility for local school districts."
 
And the American Frozen Food Institute industry lobby hailed the measure, which it said "recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fiber and vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste and ensures that students may continue to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta."
 
But "this isn't about nutrition, this is about protecting pizza makers," according to Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Pepperoni pizza is not a vegetable."
 
Existing rules define a full serving of vegetables as eight tablespoons, or a half-cup, except for a "loophole" that sets the amount of tomato paste required at two tablespoons, roughly what goes on a slice, she told AFP by telephone.
 
The USDA had proposed early this year to require eight tablespoons of tomato paste in one vegetable serving, and limit school lunches to two servings per week of French fries or other starchy vegetables.
 
"The Congress basically stepped in to protect industry's ability to continue to sell two of the most unhealthy foods in the school lunch program: pizza and French fries," said Wootan.
 
Copyright 2011  AFP Global Edition

 

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Related Topics: Food, Healthy Eating, Schools, USDA

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anonymous
wtf man 11/18/2011 22:26 PM

Tomatoes aren't even a vegetable!

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

Oh wait, this is just a perfect example of how politics is run. Just think.. this happens nearly every time a policy is made.

WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOMED.

anonymous
Eric Bischoff 11/18/2011 11:36 AM

Isnt that why we have an Occupy movement! Industry Lobbyists get their way. The tail wags the government dog. Fascism is alive and well in america.

Momof2
Momof2 11/17/2011 16:54 PM

Sigh. The saddest part is that it will mostly affect the kids from the poorest districts...in richer schools, the parents band together and demand healthier food. But the poorer schools...whether it's absent parents or simply bigger problems to deal with....just stay with the status quo.

anonymous
kELLI 11/17/2011 16:31 PM

pIZZA SAUCE IS TOMATO AND IT IS A VEGETABLE

anonymous
Health Nut 12/03/2011 15:50 PM

kELLI,
I hope you continue eating your ideas of vegetables and eventually die of heart disease. Have a nice life dumbass! <3

anonymous
Anonymous 11/17/2011 23:26 PM

But the first ingredient isn't tomatoe, it's high fructose corn syrup.

anonymous
danni 11/17/2011 14:08 PM

TOMATOES ARE NOT VEGETABLES. PERIOD.

THEY ARE FRUITS.

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