Salt stays, grains go on lunch lines

LEESBURG, Va. — Schools won’t have to cut more salt from meals yet and some will be able to serve kids fewer whole grains under changes to federal nutrition standards announced Monday.

The move by President Donald Trump’s Agriculture Department partially rolls back rules championed by then-first lady Michelle Obama as part of her healthy eating initiative. Separately, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday it would delay for one year an Obama administration rule requiring calorie labels on menus and prepared food displays that was scheduled to go into effect later this week.

As his first major action in office, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the department will delay an upcoming requirement to lower sodium in meals, while continuing to allow waivers for regulations that all grains on the lunch line must be 50 percent whole grain. Schools could also serve 1 percent flavored milk instead of the nonfat now required.

“If kids aren’t eating the food and it’s ending up in the trash, they aren’t getting any nutrition — thus undermining the intent of the program,” said Perdue, who traveled to a school in Leesburg, Va., to make the announcement.

Health advocates who worked closely with the Obama administration on nutrition issues criticized the moves, saying that the Trump administration is messing with rules that are popular with the public.

The FDA said the delay “allows for further consideration” of ways to reduce costs or make rules more flexible as supermarkets and pizza delivery companies have lobbied against them.