- It has been reported that a coalition of more than 100 groups, including food and agriculture groups, school districts, food service professionals, and nutrition experts wrote a letter to USDA urging it to classify pulse-based pastas as meat alternatives in the Department’s Child Nutrition Programs.
- The Child Nutrition Programs include
sdetailed meal pattern requirements, including minimum amounts and types of foods, that must be offered for reimbursable meals. These vary by program and meal, but many require a meat/meat alternate component, which currently cannot be satisfied by pulse pastas. The coalition argues that pulse-based pastas are packed with nutrients, including protein, and that the change would promote their use and is consistent with the updated dietary guidelines which call for nutrient-dense protein foods to be prioritized. - The Coalition also urged USDA to update the list of creditable ingredients in its Food Buying Guide to include pulse flour products to make them more accessible to participating programs.
- The coalition consists of various groups including manufacturers and trade associations. In a policy positions paper, pulse trade group USA Pulse has called for legislation supporting the increased use of pulse crops, including foods like soybeans, lentils, and legumes, in school meal programs. USA Pulse also calls for laws that allow pureed pulses and pulse-derived ingredients in federally reimbursable meals.
- Keller and Heckman will continue to monitor food industry developments.
