Administration Gives Priorities for Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization

New Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (AR) indicated from the very first interview she gave after being appointed to the post that child nutrition will continue to remain one of her priorities, and that she looks forward to reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act. The Chairman isn’t the only one.

According to a news release issued today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Tom Vilsack “previewed the Obama Administration’s legislative priorities for the bill. The legislation has a five year timeline, so it is reauthorized every five years to meet the existing needs of the nation. The bill provides the “outline” for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs and the more than 31 million children who are fed by this program. The priorities of the administration are improving the nutritional value of this program as well as “eliminating barriers that keep children from participating . . .” among others.

Yesterday Vilsack was at the White House with First Lady Michelle Obama to discuss the legislation. Their discussion followed a release earlier in the week by the Institute of Medicine and commissioned by the USDA. The study found the following: children are not eating enough dark green and dark orange vegetables, they also are not consuming the amount of fruit they need, and children are also eating too little in terms of whole grains. “This trend unfortunately puts children at increased risk for a variety of obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.” These will be among the issues that will be addressed when Congress starts actively working on the bill’s reauthorization.

To read the USDA news release click here.

Posted: 10/23/09