Calls Needed Now To Bring Alternatives To Cow's Milk Into Schools

[Guest guest]

Calls are needed now asking that the USDA to include soy and rice

milk as an option in the school lunch line. Such a move would

satisfy the needs of many children who are veg, lactose intolerant,

need to cut back on fat, do not drink milk for ethnic or cultural

reasons, or simply would prefer an alternative. Information is

included below.

 

THE SPECIAL NUTRITION PROGRAM (SNP) has extended the comment period

regarding adding fortified soy and rice milk to the school lunch

program.

 

Word from the inside is that calls/faxes waned during November and

December and since THE SNP will be making a decision relatively soon,

more calls are needed! (Inside word also has it that the SNP is a

little " confused " about soy and rice milk and are starting to have

second thoughts about including them....SO, polite and informative

calls NOW are VITAL!

 

(Please note: Do not ask SNP to eliminate milk....as much as we

would like to make that happen, we'll be shooting ourselves in the

foot if we ask for this at this point.)

________________

 

The SPECIAL NUTRITION PROGRAM, part of the FOOD AND NUTRITION

SERVICE, under the USDA, is still taking comments about adding

fortified soy and rice milk alternatives to the public schools' food

programs.

 

Once the SPECIAL NUTRITION PROGRAM hears from us (and unfortunately,

from others like the dairy industry too), they will draft a

legislative proposal for Congress asking Congress to amend the Child

Nutrition Acts to hopefully include milk alternates.

 

Please call and fax Peter Murano, information included below, to

support adding fortified soy and rice milk to the food programs in

our public schools. (If we don't accomplish this now, it might be

another 3 or more years before we get another chance...we are

currently so close to reaching this goal that it would be a shame to

let it slip through our fingers! :-) )

 

Peter Murano, Associate Deputy Administrator

Special Nutrition Program

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

3101 Park Center Drive

Room 510

Alexandria, VA 22302

ph.: 703 305 2052

fax: 703 305 2782

 

For further information regarding CHOICE please 1-877-6-CHOICE.

Thanks, Susan