Washington, DC – The potato industry launched a new website, PotatoesInSchools.com, to inform school foodservice providers, nutrition opinion leaders, consumers, and potato industry stakeholders of the issues surrounding the proposed changes to the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The proposed changes significantly limit the amount of starchy vegetables, including potatoes, which can be served in school lunches and eliminates them in the school breakfast program.
PotatoesInSchools.com is designed to be the key resource for information supporting the potato industry’s position that there is no need to, or value in, limiting starchy vegetables in school meal plans.
Increasing awareness of this issue and garnering the support of the school foodservice community is paramount. We urge the entire potato industry to contact local school districts and media to urge them to comment on the proposed changes, which could increase costs, reduce school choice, limit vegetables that kids enjoy eating, and reduce nutrient delivery. Tools and messaging to help in that outreach are available at http://www.potatoesinschools.com/TellUSDAtoKeepPotatoesInSchool.php.
All outreach to USDA will make a difference. Kids who eat school meals and the hard-working school foodservice providers who provide those economical and nutritious meals deserve to have the school meal plans done right. Visit PotatoesInSchools.com for nutritional information, innovations in product offering and preparation, recent survey results from school foodservice providers, a model alternate school menu that includes potatoes, talking points, a sample letter and contact information for submitting comments.
The National Potato Council is the advocate for the economic well-being of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, and trade issues. Potato growers, along with the U.S. potato industry as whole, directly benefit from involvement in the National Potato Council. NPC supports the U.S. potato industry by monitoring issues affecting the strength and viability of the potato industry, influencing regulators and legislators on issues crucial to the industry's long term success, ensuring fair market access for potatoes and potato products, and bringing the unique issues and interests of diverse growing regions in the U.S. together on a national level. The National Potato Council is a voluntary organization supported by quota assessments from state organizations, allied industry memberships and sponsorships, and directly by potato growers through membership dues.
Source: The National Potato Council