April 13, 2016

AFFI urges lawmakers to expand school snack program

American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and a coalition of more than 50 allied trade associations urged the U.S. House of Representatives to expand the  USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) to allow schools to serve more fruits and vegetables, including frozen.

“As confirmed by Frozen Food Foundation-commissioned nutritional studies conducted by the Universities of Georgia (UGA) and California-Davis (UC Davis), frozen fruits and vegetables are as rich in nutrients, and often more so, than fresh-stored produce,” said AFFI Interim President Joseph Clayton.  “As the House Education and the Workforce Committee begins to consider reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, we urge the committee to include language to expand the FFVP to allow schools to serve fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables.”

AFFI and its allies wrote House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) and House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Scott (D-Va.) stressing that USDA’s own 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that Americans eat more fruits and vegetables, regardless of the form, and expanding the FFVP would align the program with the agency’s recommendations.

The coalition wrote, “Expanding the program to allow frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables in addition to fresh would provide school nutritionists with an affordable option for increasing the variety of healthy fruits and vegetables schools can offer year-round, thus furthering the program’s ability to promote improved childhood nutrition and serve more children.”

Joining the American Frozen Food Institute on the letter were the American Agri-Women, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Fruit and Vegetable Processors and Growers Coalition, Apricot Producers of California, California Canning Peach Association, California Date Commission, California Dried Fruit Coalition, California Dried Plum Board, California Farm Bureau Federation, California Fig Advisory Board, California League of Food Processors, California Strawberry Commission, Canned Food Alliance, Can Manufacturers Institute, Del Monte Foods, Food Producers of Idaho, Idaho Agriculture in the Classroom, Idaho Cooperative Council, Inc., Idaho-Oregon Fruit and Vegetable Association, Iowa Farm Bureau, Jasper Wyman & Son, Lakeside Foods, MBG Marketing/The Blueberry People, Michigan Asparagus Growers, Michigan Carrot Growers, Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Processing Apple Growers, Midwest Food Processors Association, Milk Producers of Idaho, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Grape Cooperative Association, Inc., North American Blueberry Council, Northwest Food Processors Association, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Women for Agriculture, Pacific Coast Producers, Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association, Red Gold, Inc., Seneca Foods, Sunsweet Growers, Inc., Sun-Maid Growers of California, Texas Food Processors Association, Valley Fig Growers, Washington Asparagus Commission, Washington Blueberry Commission, Washington Farm Bureau Federation, Washington Friends of Farms and Forests, Washington Red Raspberry Commission, Washington State Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Welch’s Food, Inc., Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, Wisconsin Agribusiness Association, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers, Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.

To view a copy of the coalition letter, click here.





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