Nourish California has submitted comments in opposition of the rule and has requested an extended public comment period. We encourage you to do the same. Comments on the new proposed rule are due December 28th. The Food Research and Action Center has created a platform you can use to quickly submit a model comment letter or you can send your own letter directly to USDA.
How the Departing Trump Administration Could Weaken School Meal Nutrition Rules
Published on Dec 17, 2020 in Federal Advocacy
The Trump Administration is still in the driver's seat at the United States Department of Agriculture and pressing forward at full speed to cement policy changes before Biden officially takes office later in January. Among the last-ditch efforts is a proposal to rollback school nutrition standards. We need your help stopping the damage before it is too late.
Even after a federal court struck down the Trump administration’s rollback of school nutrition standards earlier this year, the administration is still intent on reversing Obama-era changes which have made school meals healthier than ever before. In their latest attempt to undermine school meals, the Administration is proposing to implement rules that would add more salt, more refined white flour, and more flavored sugary milk into school meals.
One of the remaining tools in the Administration’s tool belt to bring forward this change is fast tracking the federal rulemaking process through a shortened public comment period. The general public was only provided 30 days to review and comment on the rule. Not enough when researchers, policy experts, school nutrition program operators, state agencies, and other stakeholders are responding to the immediate threats of the COVID-19 crisis. Unfortunately, if a final rule goes into effect it will be challenging to reverse.