Pictured from left to right: PMA Chief Science Officer Dr. Max Teplitski, former PMA board member April Porter, USDA FNS Administrator Pam Miller, former PMA board member Gary Wishnatzki, PMA Vice President Global Business Development, Richard Owen On behalf of its members, PMA submitted comments to USDA on the proposed rule "Simplifying Meal Service and Monitoring Requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs."
We support the USDA's efforts to combat food waste, to offer flexibility to substitute starchy vegetables to meet the grains component, and to continue to facilitate the availability of nutritious wholesome foods to children in America.
A 2017 study highlighted the fact that children consume nearly half of their fruits and vegetables at school (57.7% of fruit and 40.6% of vegetables). School breakfasts and lunches are a safety net for underserved kids.
It is hugely important for PMA to continue to advocate for school breakfasts and lunches to be nutritious and offer a diversity of wholesome options at the levels that align with the USDA MyPlate.
Highlights from the comments are:
We object to the reduction of the fruit serving size from 1 cup to 1/2 cup for breakfasts on the go.
We support the ability for states to take consistent fiscal action for repeated meal pattern violations.
We do not support pasta made from vegetable flour or dry pulses (beans, lentils) to count as vegetables.
