frozen french fries!
Yes, in a move that is being irresistibly compared to Reagan's attempt to get ketchup classified as a vegetable in school lunches, a federal judge has just sided with the food industry in declaring frozen french fries a fresh vegetable.
Apparently, the term "fresh vegetable" was found to be "ambiguous."
The Frozen Potato Products Institute appealed to the USDA to change its definition of fresh produce under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), arguing that "rolling potato slices in a starch coating, frying them and freezing them is the equivalent of waxing a cucumber or sweetening a strawberry." The USDA agreed and changed the rules in 2003 to include the "Batter-Coating Rule."
Glad to know the government cares so much about our health. We now know that high glycemic-index foods like potatoes are contributing to the obesity problem in this country, but even worse is that most, if not all, commercially frozen french fries are loaded with trans fats. This is a bad move on the part of the USDA.
What I want to know is whether frozen fries will be counted as a fresh vegetable for the purpose of school lunches. If so, this is an outrage. At a time when we are battling an alarming rate of juvenile obesity in this country, such an act is irresponsible, to say the least.
Comments