Please help US get soymilk in schools! - Activism

General Counsel for the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), Mindy Kursban, recently informed VBC that the United States Congress is currently reviewing the Child Nutrition Acts, which create federal food programs such as the School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program. Under the current statutes, participating organizations must provide cow's milk at every meal in order to receive reimbursement from the USDA. This means there are no alternatives to cow's milk unless parents provide a note from a physician stating medical need.

As part of the review process, Congress will hold hearings on this matter in the coming months. In the meantime, we are asking U.S. citizens to encourage their federal legislators to sponsor an amendment to the statutes that would require the USDA to reimburse for non-dairy alternatives and require schools to make non-dairy alternatives available on a daily basis without any proof of medical need. In addition, we are asking concerned citizens to send letters to the committees that will be holding hearings as part of the reauthorization of the statutes. The following is a sample letter:

Senators

The Honorable (first and last name)

U.S. Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Representatives

The Honorable (first and last name)

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Subject: Amendment to the National School Lunch Act to add Soymilk

Dear Representative/Senator (last name):

The National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act, which authorize the school lunch program as well as all other federal nutrition programs, are up for reauthorization. Therefore, I am writing to urge you to sponsor and support an amendment to these statutes that would require the addition of nondairy beverages, such as calcium-fortified soymilks, as mandatory reimbursable alternatives to cow's milk in all of the child nutrition programs, especially the school lunch program.

(Brief personal background information)

I was surprised to learn that the USDA still refuses to reimburse a school for a lunch that includes a non-dairy beverage such as soymilk except in cases of medical need. Rather, cow's milk is required as part of a "qualifying" meal in order for that school to receive reimbursement by the USDA, income which some school systems depend on for more than half of their cafeteria funds.

Soymilk is lower in fat and cholesterol than cow's milk, does not have the hormones found in cow's milk, and is easier for many people, especially minority children, to digest. kurican iimericans, Latinos, Asians, and most other ethnic populations not of Northern European ancestry all have high incidences of lactose intolerance, which means that they cannot easily digest cow s milk. As reported in the Washington Post on April 14, 2002, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse estimates that 30 million to 50 million Americans are unable to digest lactose.

Additionally, studies have shown that soy may have a positive effect on everything from cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease to menopausal symptoms. As for the nutritional package of soymilk, most brands today contain the same levels of calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, potassium, and several B vitamins as cow s mild.

I hope you will lead the efforts to amend the child nutrition statutes to include the mandatory provision of soymilk by initiating this needed legislation.

Thank you for your consideration of this issue. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

(Your name here)

Please remember to include your name and address on the envelope and the letter. One page, hand-written letters work best. Keep the letter polite, positive, non-threatening, and to the point. Clearly state what you want, using facts to support your argument. You can locate your Senator or Representative by visiting www.house.gov/ and www.senate.gov/ or by checking a local phone book. For more information, contact the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine at www.pcrm.org or 202-686-2210.

Lucy Watkins is both the activism and interview section editor for Vegetarian Baby and Child magazine.

**Special thanks go to Mindy Kurshan of PCRM for her help with this article.

Please ask the Food and Nutrition and Congress to add soymilk and rice milk to the nutrition program.

Peter Murano, Associate Deputy Administrator

Special Nutrition Program

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

3101 Park Center Dr., Rm. 510

Alexandria, VA 22302

Tel.: 703-305-2052

Fax: 703-3O5-2782

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510-6000

Tel: 202-224-2035

Fax: 202-224-9287

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

2181 Rayburn House Office Building

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Tel: 202-225-4527

Fax: 202-225-9571

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