US Congress rules pizza is a vegetable

[poorbassist15]

US Congress rules that pizza is a vegetable · TheJournal

PIZZA IS A vegetable – at least according to a decision made by the US Congress. Who knew?

American lawmakers have ruled that the amount of tomato paste in pizza sauce means that pizzas can be counted as a vegetable.

The bizarre move, which was decided in a vote on the annual spending bill for the Department of Agriculture, happened for purely political reasons.

The crucial bill had oversight over subsidised school meals, and the department was seeking to restrict pizza, chips and starchy vegetables from the menu for school children in a bid to combat child obesity.

MSNBC reports that politicians had been lobbied heavily by the frozen food industry who didn’t want to see a major revenue stream cut off given how often pizza is found on the menus of school canteens in the US.

School meals subsidised by the government are mandated to include a certain amount of vegetables and the Department of Agriculture’s plan would have pushed pizza-makers at least partly out of the school lunch business.

The salt industry, potato growers, and some conservative politicians who said that the federal government shouldn’t be involved in telling children what to eat, also lobbied against the change.

After some debate, Congress voted that anything containing two tablespoons of tomato sauce can be labelled a vegetable, putting pizza into the vegetable category.

The Obama administration is fighting to make school lunches healthier in the face of a growing obesity problem across the country.

Ah, America...

[soulman969]

I guess now Domino's and Pizza Hut have their own Congressional Oversight Committee.

[Lonesomedave]

at least they didn't call it a fruit....

[A-Step-Towards]

Only some fatass americans would waste time with that " yeah I am getting more fruit in my diet"

[T-Bird]

Hi.

That's nothing, we have a sausage over here that can be categorized as bread by EU legislation because of the high flour content .

Or so I have been told.

Quite frankly, I don't care.

When I make a pizza, sure there's some tomato sauce, but the only other "vegetable" is Jalapeno.

OTOH, I'm the sort of vegetarian who likes his vegetables in a processed form. To meat I mean.

Regards
Sam

[Stilettoprefer]

Hmmm I think i'll be eating more pizza .

[Martin89]

Makes me feel much better about my dinner choice tonight.

[Thor]

You don´t know the half of it. Some pizza makers delivering to school food service use surplus donated USDA commodities purchased with your subsidies to make the pizzas. I know one guy who uses USDA donated commodity flour, tomato products and cheese. Gives him a bit of a price advantage against his competition. I hear he´s got a pretty nice boat over in Catalina, but that may be just hearsay.

Yeah, pizza contains some vegetable products. Unless that red crap is made out of plastic or something. Last I looked Tomatoes and their derivative and value added products were still in the veggie family specie wise. The only question is how much content and if cooking turns it into a non-vegetable. Last I looked it doesn't.

Let's use some common sense here. Get rid of the 2 liter bottles of sugary soda in school, add more nutritionally well balanced and healthful foods to offer to the kids.

[bongomania]

We're supposed to have five to ten servings of veggies each day, right?

I better put Domino's on speed dial, and stock up my freezer.

[96tbird]

But flour is wheat which is a plant, grain yes but still of the plant kingdom. Full of starches and sugars which tomatoes contain. So although technically not called a veg, it qualifies in a vegan diet. Sayin...

BTW, tomatoes are in reality fruit as are peppers. The defining factor is that they arise from the flower. Vegetables are the plant itself, celery, lettuce, onion, garlic, etc.

[Lonesomedave]

hey... i've got a REALLY crazy idea...

let's get the federal government out of the education business--and a lot of other businesses as well-- then we won't have to worry what congress calls a particular food.

personally, i think pie should be at the top of the food pyramid, but i really don't want my tax dollars wasted on crap like this...just sayin'

[96tbird]

Mmm pie, gaaaahhh.

[JakeAndAirwaves]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

That's nothing, we have a sausage over here that can be categorized as bread by EU legislation because of the high flour content .

Or so I have been told.

Quite frankly, I don't care.

When I make a pizza, sure there's some tomato sauce, but the only other "vegetable" is Jalapeno.

OTOH, I'm the sort of vegetarian who likes his vegetables in a processed form. To meat I mean.

Regards
Sam

Dr. Pepper has enough sugar to be called a food. The slogan "have a bite to drink" is true.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by JakeAndAirwaves

Dr. Pepper has enough sugar to be called a food. The slogan "have a bite to drink" is true.

LOL, really?

Guess what I'm drinking ATM?

REgards
Sam

[Thor]

Originally Posted by 96tbird

But flour is wheat which is a plant, grain yes but still of the plant kingdom. Full of starches and sugars which tomatoes contain. So although technically not called a veg, it qualifies in a vegan diet. Sayin...

BTW, tomatoes are in reality fruit as are peppers. The defining factor is that they arise from the flower. Vegetables are the plant itself, celery, lettuce, onion, garlic, etc.

Well, since the USDA school lunch program categorizes catsup as a vegetable, you obviously don't know sh!t from Shinola, do you?
Don't ask me, ask Heinz. They paid for it.

[JakeAndAirwaves]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

LOL, really?

Guess what I'm drinking ATM?

REgards
Sam

Yep. I went to the original Dr Pepper plant in Dublin, Texas and that's what I was told. I love it so much. I think it's actually bottled in the city I live in. There's some major soda brand they bottle here, I'm sure it's Dr pepper though.

[dlenaghan]

This would have made so many of my friends in college vegetarians..

[Skeletomania]

By congress' standard, adding a dip of ketchup to my steak will make it a vegetable.

[Lonesomedave]

actually, according to Thor, that was the USDA, not congress

[bmc]

Gratifying to see congress hard at work. Life must be just fine in the USA if this floats to the top of the agenda.