Letter to: The Honorable Kevin W. Concannon

Letter

U.S. Senator Susan Collins today continued to express serious concerns regarding two proposed rules that would limit access to white potatoes in federal nutrition programs. In a letter to the Under Secretary of Food and Nutrition Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Kevin Concannon, Senator Collins said that the USDA is "discouraging the consumption of a vegetable that is both inexpensive and highly nutritious, and, is the backbone of the agriculture economy in areas such as northern Maine." Under Secretary Concannon is also the former Commissioner of Maine's Department of Health and Human Services.

"As a native Mainer, you understand the vital role potato production plays in our state's economy and the thousands of jobs -- both direct and indirect -- that are dependent on this industry" Senator Collins said in the letter to Concannon. "As Maine's most important cash crop, potato sales total approximately $140 million, and make up nearly one-quarter of all Maine farm receipts.

"Potatoes also contain significant levels of potassium, vitamin C, iron, dietary fiber, and other nutrients that are important for growing children and expectant mothers. I am concerned that by limiting access to potatoes, the USDA would be arbitrarily restricting the consumption of a nutritious vegetable and inflicting serious and unnecessary damage on a key industry in our state. In addition, there are also significant direct costs associated with what USDA is proposing," Senator Collins concluded.

Senator Collins has been a working hard to convince USDA to include the white potato in both the school lunch and federally-funded health and nutrition program for women, infants and children known as WIC.
During a March 2011 Senate Appropriations Agriculture subcommittee hearing, she defended the health benefits of the white potato to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

"I find it contradictory that the Department simultaneously promotes the consumption of more fresh fruits and vegetables while discounting the nutritional value and undermining the success of a household staple," Senator Collins said to Secretary Vilsak. "WIC and the school breakfast and lunch programs are designed to assist lower-income families and children obtain more healthy sources of food. These individuals already face significant obstacles to eating a balanced and healthy diet. The potato would advance these programs' goals of supplying participants with more healthy, inexpensive, dynamic vegetables."

The full text of the letter sent today follows:

The Honorable Kevin W. Concannon
Under Secretary, Food and Nutrition Service
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Under Secretary Concannon:

I write to you today to express my serious concerns regarding two proposed rules that would limit access to white potatoes in our federal nutrition programs.

Potatoes contain significant levels of potassium, vitamin C, iron, dietary fiber, and other nutrients that are important for growing children and expectant mothers. They are also part of the backbone of the agriculture economy in areas such as northern Maine. As a native Mainer, you understand the vital role potato production plays in our state's economy and the thousands of jobs -- both direct and indirect -- that are dependent on this industry. As Maine's most important cash crop, potato sales total approximately $140 million, and make up made up nearly one-quarter of all Maine farm receipts.

Despite the many health benefits that potatoes provide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed two rules to restrict their availability in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). As you know, these programs play a critical rule not only in providing children access to healthful foods, but also in helping to shape the eating habits of entire generations. I am concerned that by limiting access to potatoes, USDA would be arbitrarily restricting the consumption of a nutritious vegetable and inflicting serious and unnecessary damage on a key industry in our state. In addition, there are also significant direct costs associated with what USDA is proposing. In fact, USDA estimates that implementing the proposed rule related to the school breakfast and lunch programs would cost nearly $7 billion over five years -- a cost that would be borne by school districts and state and local governments.

I appreciate the effort that the Food and Nutrition Services has put into improving nutrition in the school meals and WIC programs, but in these cases, the Department is erring in discouraging the consumption of a vegetable that is both inexpensive and highly nutritious when prepared appropriately. I am asking you, as a fellow Mainer and as Under Secretary for Food and Nutrition, to reassess the Department's policies discouraging the consumption of potatoes. Thank you for your attention to this request.

Source