Re: Act now >> Harmful rider that could impact school meals

Tell Congress to prioritize kids’ health, not Big Dairy’s interests [Add your name to tell Congress: No Special Treatment for Cheese]( [SIGN NOW]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Friend, Industry is lobbying Congress hard to get a special carveout for cheese products to skirt science-based nutrition standards for sodium reduction in school meals. Federal child nutrition programs help millions of children access healthy food every day. The National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs provide a free or subsidized healthy meal in school for 30 million children. The United States Department of Agriculture recently proposed updates to school meal requirements to make them healthier. Yet, Big Food lobbied Congress to require cheese get special exemptions – a move that is not rooted in science and represents a blatant handout to the dairy industry. What this means is that foods, like mac and cheese and cheeseburgers, could be even higher in sodium since some or all of the sodium from cheese used to make those menu items might not count towards the sodium limit. This unnecessary exemption was inserted in the spending bill that Congress must pass early next year, when the current continuing resolution to fund the government expires. This legislation should have no business tinkering with the nutritional quality of school meals. Kids’ overconsumption of sodium increases their subsequent risk of elevated blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. By giving special privileges to Big Dairy, Congress is willing to prioritize corporate interests over children’s health. We need your help to stop this. [Please urge your Representative and Senators to put children’s health before corporate special interests in the 2024 spending bill.]( [SIGN NOW]( Thank you for taking action! Sincerely, Meghan Maroney, MPH Campaign Manager, Federal Child Nutrition Programs Paid for by CSPI Action Fund, an affiliate of Center for Science in the Public Interest. Does not equal endorsement. Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.