Congress Pizza Bill Investigative Report
Shoutout UK 1 INTERNATIONAL TRADING AND CONSULTANCY PLATFORM
Pizza US Bill Investigative Report
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'Pizza is a vegetable' debate History of the issue: • •
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In 2004, (under the Bush administration) Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve nutrition standards for school food. In 2009, at the request of the USDA, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report with very specific school lunch recommendations ( based on scientific and nutritional research.) USDA subsequently proposed regulations, took public comment, and should then have come out with final regulations. This is the normal procedure: Congress makes the laws and the executive branch carries them out as agencies such as the USDA are the experts, not Congress. In this instance the food industry didn't get what it wanted through the normal channels, so it went to Congress, which usurped the entire process.1 Under pressure from lobbyists and some food companies that sell frozen pizza, salt and potatoes, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee rejected the new rules, painting them as “burdensome and costly regulations.”2 Additionally they were able to include a provision on the bill which would allow the tomato paste on a pizza to count as a vegetable. (According to Congress, 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce equals ½ cup of vegetables, thus allowing pizza to be counted as a serving of vegetables in school lunches.) 3 The bill was put to congress by the appropriations committee for a vote on the 17th of November. Several Liberals opposed the bill; the foremost of which was Jared Polis (Representative for Colorado) who said: "Pizza alone, particularly pizza with no vegetables on it just tomato paste, it's common sense; it's not a vegetable. What's next? Are Twinkies going to be considered a vegetable?" 4 Subsequently other nutritionists and Liberal commentators have echoed this opinion and pointed out the corrupt nature of the bill, directing the blame towards Republicans and the Fast Food companies and arguing that they have put corporate interests over the health of future generations. Unsurprisingly no Republicans have stepped into the media spotlight to defend the Bill and its main advocate has been Kraig Naaz: President & CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute. The Bill was passed on the 21st of November 2011.
Kraig Naasz (American Frozen Food Institute) President & CEO from 2009 – Present (3 years) Address: 2000 Corporate Ridge, Suite 1000, McLean, VA 22102 1
Political commentary on the debate by Michele Simon (Public health lawyer specialising in industry marketing and lobbying tactics.)http://www.grist.org/food/2011-11-17-congress-and-big-pizza 2
The raw story (political activist blog)http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/16/house-republicans-saypizza-is-a-vegetable/ 3 Congressman Earl Blumenhauer's websitehttp://blumenauer.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1949 4 http://polis.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=271793
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The American Frozen Food Institute is the national trade association for the frozen food industry, representing 500 companies engaged in the production, storage, transportation, marketing and sale of frozen foods valued at $70 billion annually. On the 'Pizza is a vegetable' debate: "For many of those kids served by the federal school programme this is their primary source of nutrients through the day so we need to ensure that we're providing them foods that they'll eat." "This agreement ensures that nutrient-rich vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will remain part of a balanced, healthy diet in federally funded school meals and recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fibre and vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste, ensuring that students may continue to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta." Press reaction to Kraig Naaz's comments: AFFI is the national trade association which lobbies Congress for the interests of the frozen food industry. It’s amazing how a food lobby can insert their presence into the educational institutions of our children via legislation. 5 News break down of proposed changes to Bill on Nutrition: USDA (dept of agriculture) wanted to cut back on French fries, reduce the amount of sodium in food served in schools, increase fruit and vegetables and require half a cup of tomato paste to be used per pizza for it to qualify as a vegetable. - msnbc.com (NBC News) Even this did not satisfy congress: "Congress says pizza is considered a vegetable as it has two tablespoons of tomato paste. It will remain a vegetable since this week congress rejected the department of agricultures attempt to make school lunches healthier." - msnbc.com (NBC News)
Main contesters Michelle Obama - 'Let's move' campaign to reduce childhood obesity Jared Polis - Representative for Colorado 6 • Youtube video of his speech in congress 7 Margo Wootan - Centre for Science in the Public Interest "Congress has put the interests of the pizza and French fry industries before the interests of our children, and before our children's health" 8
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Article by political commentator Jonathan Mariano: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/11/schoolpizza-vegetable/ 6 Polis's Website http://polis.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=271793 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OqLeNYswIko 8 MBC news report http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJy971DCDlg&feature=related
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Lawrence O'Donnell outrage at Congress classifying pizza as a vegetable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=3N_F9pQqoJ0
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Congressman Blumenauer (Oregon) highlights the creeping danger posed by re-defining pizza and french fries as "vegetables" in school lunch program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHrY0-29sQ&feature=related School districts have said some of the USDA proposals go too far and cost too much when budgets are extremely tight. Schools have long taken broad instructions from the government on what they can serve in the federally subsidized meals that are given free or at reduced price to low-income children. But some schools have balked at government attempts to tell them exactly what foods they can't serve. Reacting to that criticism, House Republicans had urged USDA to rewrite the standards in a bill passed in June. The Senate last month voted to block the potato limits in its version, with opposition to the restrictions led by potato-growing states. Neither version of the bill included the latest provisions on tomato paste, sodium or whole grains; House and Senate negotiators added those in the last two weeks as they put finishing touches on the legislation. 9 The actual bill 10 In summary: Although several organisations have been implicated in this issue along with the Republican party it is impossible to pin it on one person. Whilst the naysayers are in abundance those behind doors making deals are keeping quiet. The fact remains that a bill that protects the interests of the fast food industry has been passed contrary to the advice of the Scientists and Nutritionists at the USDA.
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http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=75339 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt284/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt284.pdf
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Writers: Emma Froud
Editor: Matteo Bergamini
Designer Matteo Bergamini
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