Senators are fighting rumors that the US government will stop classifying potatoes as vegetables.
Fourteen lawmakers have written to federal agencies that could influence the change, warning that it would confuse Americans and cause chaos in supply chains.
It comes amid reports that the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is “considering changes to food groups”, including a proposal to group starchy vegetables in the same category as grains, which would put them in the same category. group than 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 regarding diet.
The new guidelines will be implemented next year.
The lawmakers made their case in a letter to government officials, highlighting the numerous nutritional benefits of eating potatoes, which are packed with potassium and calcium.
But the USDA has insisted that the government “is not considering a change in 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 Director Tom Vilsack, asking that any plan would be abandoned.
They saying: ‘The scientific justification behind the claim that potatoes are not vegetables is not sound 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 alter national dietary guidelines on healthy eating habits.
Industry groups told Congress last year that they had heard murmurs about the move, which is believed to be due to the fact that potatoes are high in carbohydrates and have a higher glycemic index than most vegetables.
However, unlike many grains, yellow potatoes contain more fiber, which slows the rise in blood sugar that occurs after eating sugars.
The potential reclassification has spooked the food industry and lawmakers who represent large populations of farmers who depend on growing and selling their crops for a living.
Senators said the measure would deprive the public of vital nutrients. It would require adjustments to nutritional guidelines, affecting recommendations for vegetable intake, and any labeling changes that food companies would have to make could discourage consumers.
They added that federal nutrition programs, such as school lunches, could be affected.
They said: “Under the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programmes, schools already struggle to meet vegetable consumption recommendations at a reasonable cost, and potatoes are often the most affordable vegetable.”
Potatoes are a very profitable food. A 10-pound bag at WalMart, for example, would cost about $6. They’re also the most frequently consumed vegetable in the country, with each American eating nearly 49 pounds in 2019. But they’re not perfect.
The main concern is the way the potatoes are prepared.
While delicious, frying or mashing them with lots of butter and salt, those preparation methods add a considerable amount of calories, fat, and sodium.
Boiling or baking them is a smarter decision from a nutritional point of view, because it preserves the high fiber content that counteracts possible blood sugar spikes, promotes the feeling of satiety, which promotes weight loss.
This is far from the first time changes to dietary guidelines have occurred until intense scrutiny ensues. In 2011, the USDA proposed a limit of no more than one cup per week of starchy vegetables, which outraged the potato industry.
Potatoes are grown in approximately 30 states, although Idaho is the largest producer. The US potato sector significantly drives the country’s economy, contributing approximately 100.9 billion dollars in 2021.
The lawmakers said: ‘It makes no sense for your departments to reclassify potatoes as cereals.
“We strongly urge you to avoid reclassifying potatoes as grains or suggesting that grains and potatoes are interchangeable.”