Posted on 03/29/2024 9:40:47 AM PDT by algore
Senators are fighting back against rumblings that the US government will stop classifying potatoes as a vegetable.
Fourteen lawmakers have written to the federal agencies who could influence the change, warning it would confuse Americans and cause chaos for supply chains.
It comes amid reports that the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is 'considering changes to food groups,' including a proposal to lump starchy vegetables in the same category as grains, which would put it in the same bracket as bread and rice.
The panel is tasked with providing independent, science-based advice to the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to help inform recommendations when it comes to diet.
The new guidelines will be rolled out next year.
But the USDA has insisted the government 'is not considering a change to the classification of potatoes.'
Still, on Thursday, Bipartisan senators from Colorado, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, Nebraska, Montana, Michigan, and Washington addressed their letter to HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and USDA head Tom Vilsack calling for any plans to be abandoned.
They said: 'The scientific justification behind the assertion that potatoes are not vegetables is not strong, and there are documented nutritional benefits of potatoes.'
Potatoes provide crucial nutrients, including potassium, calcium, fiber, and vitamin B6, and reclassifying them as grains would change public perception of their health value and upend national dietary guidelines about healthy eating habits.
Industry groups told Congress last year they'd heard murmurs about the move, which is believed to be due to the fact potatoes are high in carbohydrates and have a higher glycemic index than most vegetables.
Unlike a lot of grains, however, yellow potatoes contain more fiber, which slows down the spike in blood sugar that happens after eating sugars.
Possible reclassification has spooked the food industry
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Animal, mineral or vegetable?
The Irish man’s dilemma:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsc51u_2Bb4&pp=ygUZYXJjaGVyIGlyaXNobWFuJ3MgZGlsZW1tYQ%3D%3D
That’s about it.
Typical example of what our tax dollars are used for by federal and state employees...
Will they revisit how to pronounce it? Maybe even hire a former VP to review spelling options?
It’s not an animal or a mineral, so it’s a vegetable. QED.
If our President can be a vegetable, so can potatoes.
Babylon Bee???? This is ridiculous
The solution isn't better (or less "political") classification, it's less government.
Who changes their diet based on what the government says?
Ha, good point.
I can understand why the classification to a grain works. Nutritionally, potatoes are more like a bread than a veg. diabetics notice this more than non-diabetics. turnips are different because they don’t contain the starches that potatoes have, and are a good substitute for potatoes.
Carbohydrates are what causes cholesterol issues in people according to my endocrinologist, not dietary fats. Because of this, Keto diets work by utilizing fats for energy. unused carbs are stored as fats.
For some, grains are a good thing. if 25% of people are diabetic, then 75% can utilize grains well. However, diabetes is on the rise as is obesity.
Carrots, peas, beans, corn are all starchy veggies. Diabetics have to count them as both a bread and a veg. It doesn’t mean they don’t contain good nutrients, but too many starches are harming people and making big pharma wealthy by providing the meds to manage the issues caused by too many carbs. Think statins among others.
On average, we don’t get the exercise needed to burn off those carbs. Layoff them and see what happens, for yourself.
My guess is potato farmers will be punished somehow. Regulations and taxes.
Mashed potatoes is Biden’s brain.
Good post.
” The kind of things that could spark bi-partisan anger?! Spend us and our kids into massive debt and oblivion, no fury! Steal an election, no fury! Open borders bringing in millions of people, no fury! Rampant crime and lawlessness, no fury! Grooming our babies into sexual perversion, no fury!
Change the classification of potatoes - that is cause for bi-partisan intervention. “
It’s the kind of fake issue that their donors don’t care about.
this is what they choose to focus on?
Right there with you on that.
Ahhhh... How about a "flake?"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.