Lawmakers urge that Chinese poultry be blocked from school lunches

Fourteen bipartisan members of the House of Representatives urged lawmakers Wednesday to block Chinese poultry from school lunches and other national nutrition programs because of the country’s poor food safety record. In a letter, the 12 Democratic representatives and two Republicans called for language in the 2014 agriculture appropriations bill to ensure chicken processed in China is not included in the national school lunch program, the school breakfast program, the child and adult care food program and the summer food service program. “Children are our most vulnerable population with respect to foodborne illnesses and sensitivity to potentially dangerous chemicals,” the letter said. “Given China’s demonstrably poor food safety record, we believe it is unacceptable to take unnecessary risks with the health of American school children.” Read More