Feds May Use Food Stamps to Improve Nutrition

Preschooler ends up eating chicken nuggets instead of home-packed meal

(NEWSER) - A North Carolina preschooler arrived at school with a lunch packed by her mom, but ended up eating just three chicken nuggets from the school cafeteria because a state agent didn't think her packed lunch was nutritious enough. Pre-kindergarten programs are required to serve lunches that meet USDA guidelines—one serving each of meat, milk, and grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables—and if lunches sent from home don't meet the guidelines, the programs must provide whatever is missing. The preschooler's lunch included a turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice, the Carolina Journal reports. More»

Law imposes nutritional requirements, expands school lunches

(AP) - Thousands more children would eat at school and all school food would become more nutritious under a bill President Obama signed into law today, part of an administration-wide effort to combat childhood obesity. "At a very basic level, this act is about doing what's right for our children," Obama said before signing the bill. The bill also was a priority for first lady Michelle Obama, who launched a national campaign this year against childhood obesity. More»

USDA says American pork is safe; Russia, China ban imports

(NEWSER) - The Egyptian government says it will immediately slaughter the country’s entire population of 300,000 pigs to protect against the swine flu, the AP reports. Egypt has stressed that it has no reported cases of the virus, though two infections have been confirmed in neighboring Israel. The move comes as countries around the globe look to restrict the import of pork products from the US. More»

Salazar brings centrist cred to the team

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama added Ken Salazar and Tom Vilsack to his growing list of Cabinet appointments today, tapping the noted centrists as secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture respectively. “It is time for a new kind of leadership in Washington that's committed to using our lands in a responsible way,” Obama said, promising again to “make the rural agenda America’s agenda.” More»

(NEWSER) - Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will be Barack Obama's pick for agriculture secretary, CNN reports. Obama is expected to make the announcement tomorrow. Vilsack himself briefly ran for president before dropping out and campaigning for Hillary Clinton. As a two-term governor, Vilsack backed renewable energy and sought to develop the state's alternative fuels industry, the AP notes. More»