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Food fight: Soy pushes for space in schools

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/03/03/school.soy.milk.ap/index.html

 

Food fight: Soy pushes for space in schools

Monday, March 3, 2003 Posted: 9:00 AM EST (1400 GMT)

 

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A food fight is brewing in school cafeterias that could

elbow aside the long-standing drink of choice -- milk -- to make some room for

soy.

 

Soybean growers and the soy foods industry are pushing the government to

reimburse schools that decide to offer soy milk as well as cow's milk. They say

it is a healthy option, particularly for youngsters who have trouble digesting

milk.

 

Under current law, school districts can be reimbursed for soy milk or lactose-

free milk only if a student has a doctor's note.

 

Dairy farmers, who for years have held the beverage monopoly in the federal

school lunch program, are resisting the change. They say nothing is as healthy

as cow's milk with its calcium and vitamins A and D.

 

The Senate Agriculture Committee plans to take up the issue Tuesday when it

holds its first hearing on reauthorizing the National School Lunch Act, which

subsidizes school meals.

 

" This is one of our top legislative priorities this year, " said Bev Paul, a

lobbyist for the American Soybean Association.

 

Soy sales

At stake are federal dollars. According to the National Milk Producers

Federation, school purchases accounted for 5 percent of U.S. milk sales in

2001.

 

Paul said dairy farmers should not feel threatened. The soy industry estimates

that soy milk accounts for only 2 percent of the retail milk sales in the

country.

 

We're not interested in pitting farmer against farmer. Our focus would be on

kids who don't drink milk.

-- Bev Paul, American Soybean Association lobbyist

 

 

" We're not interested in pitting farmer against farmer, " Paul said. " Our focus

would be on kids who don't drink milk. "

 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says lactose intolerance is a

real problem that disproportionately affects minorities. The group promotes a

vegan diet -- no meat, fish, dairy or egg products.

 

" Soy milk should be an option, " said Archana Prasad, a 16-year-old lactose

intolerant student at Venice High School in Los Angeles.

 

Don't drop dairy

Steve Demos, president of White Wave, which makes Silk soy milk, said he is

puzzled by the dairy industry's opposition to offering soy milk in schools.

 

" This is a taxpayer-based support program for feeding children, " he said. " Why

would anyone be against meeting that child's need? We're not asking anyone to

drop dairy. "

 

You can fortify anything.... What we're doing is going down a road of feeding

kids vitamins rather than food.

-- Susan Ruland, International Dairy Food Association spokeswoman

 

 

He called the current system, which requires a doctor's note, " much too

cumbersome, much too demanding on the consumer. "

 

Ironically, White Wave is owned by Dean Foods, the nation's largest processor

and distributor of cow's milk.

 

Soy groups want the Agriculture Department to establish nutritional standards

for soy milk in schools that would require it to be fortified with Vitamins A,

D and calcium.

 

Dairy groups say that misses the point.

 

" You can fortify anything, " said Susan Ruland, a spokeswoman for the

International Dairy Foods Association. " But the purpose of the program is to

get kids to eat healthy. What we're doing is going down a road of feeding kids

vitamins rather than food. "

 

Nurturing nutrition

Greg Miller, senior vice president of nutrition and scientific affairs for the

National Dairy Council, the nutrition and promotion arm of the dairy industry,

said one of the purposes of the school lunch program is to encourage good

eating habits.

 

But some question the benefits of milk.

 

I consider dairy milk to be one of the most unhealthy beverages promoted toward

children. In many ways it's worse than soda.

-- Jackie Domac, health department chairwoman for a California high school

 

 

" I consider dairy milk to be one of the most unhealthy beverages promoted

toward children, " said Jackie Domac, a teacher and health department chairwoman

at Venice High School in Los Angeles. " In many ways it's worse than soda. It's

full of antibiotics, hormones, saturated fat and cholesterol, none of which our

students need. It's not fair to push dairy when there is a healthy alternative

that students enjoy. "

 

Both sides seem to agree that even if Congress does allow soy milk to be

reimbursed, students will not flock to it.

 

" Given the tastes of the competing products, soy milk is not something most

kids would opt for, " said Chris Galen, a spokesman for the National Milk

Producers Federation.

 

" I don't believe at this point in time, the average child will take a soy

milk, " said Nancy Chapman, a lobbyist for the Soyfoods Association of North

America. " Children don't take foods they aren't familiar with. "

 

 

 

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