US Congress Classifies Tomato Sauce As A Vegetable

Tomato sauce has been classed as a vegetable by the US Congress.

The new ruling, which was made by a joint House-Senate panel, means that schools have more freedom to serve pizza and meals like pasta and fries heavy with tomato sauce.

It was finalized despite the Barack Obama administration’s plan to make children eat healthier foods for lunch.

The American Frozen Food Institute praised the outcome of the vote, saying: “[It] recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fibre and vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste, and ensures that students may continue to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta.”

USDA (the United States Department of Agriculture), however, wanted to restrict the amount of tomato sauce servings to half a cup – less than what is on a slice of pizza.

“While it’s unfortunate that some members of Congress continue to put special interests ahead of the health of America’s children, USDA remains committed to practical, science-based standards for school meals,” a spokesperson stated.

Margo Wootan from the Center for Science in the Public Interest also argued that the legislation was made to protect the business of pizza makers.

She added: “They are making sure that two of the biggest problems in the school lunch program, pizza and french fries, are untouched.”

Last month, it was ruled that primary schools in France were only allowed to serve tomato sauce once a week.