June 23, 2004
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today celebrated the passage of S. 2507, the Child Nutrition and Integrity Act, which passed the House of Representatives by voice vote. Lee was successful in adding a provision to the base text requiring proper notice for irradiated food served as part of the National School Lunch and Breakfast program.
Lee originally introduced the provision on September 17, 2003, as H.R. 3120, The Right to Know Student Nutrition Act. As written into the Child Nutrition bill, Lee’s provision will require schools that serve irradiated food to provide notification to parents and children about what constitutes irradiated food and will require proper labeling and separate handling of such irradiated products.
Lee was alerted to the issue after the Berkeley School Board moved to ban irradiated food products following passage of the 2002 Farm Bill, which relaxed the rules preventing school districts from purchasing irradiated food products.
“I’m very happy that this bill passed, and I’m happy that the key components of my original bill are in the Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act,” said Lee. “Our parents and children must be kept informed about what our children are consuming. I hope that if school districts do decide to serve these products, they provide an alternative meal to those students who don’t want to eat irradiated food.”
“I am pleased to hear that Congresswoman’s Lee provision for the labeling of irradiated food has passed the House of Representatives,” said Assemblywoman Loni Hancock. “She and I started on the path together earlier this year by jointly introducing legislation at the federal and state levels. We are both supporters of parents’ and students’ rights to have sound information on irradiated foods so that parents and students can make informed choices.”
###
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Praises House Passage of Child Nutrition and Integrity Act
Lee’s Provision on Required Labeling for Irradiation Food Included in Bill
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today celebrated the passage of S. 2507, the Child Nutrition and Integrity Act, which passed the House of Representatives by voice vote. Lee was successful in adding a provision to the base text requiring proper notice for irradiated food served as part of the National School Lunch and Breakfast program.
Lee originally introduced the provision on September 17, 2003, as H.R. 3120, The Right to Know Student Nutrition Act. As written into the Child Nutrition bill, Lee’s provision will require schools that serve irradiated food to provide notification to parents and children about what constitutes irradiated food and will require proper labeling and separate handling of such irradiated products.
Lee was alerted to the issue after the Berkeley School Board moved to ban irradiated food products following passage of the 2002 Farm Bill, which relaxed the rules preventing school districts from purchasing irradiated food products.
“I’m very happy that this bill passed, and I’m happy that the key components of my original bill are in the Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act,” said Lee. “Our parents and children must be kept informed about what our children are consuming. I hope that if school districts do decide to serve these products, they provide an alternative meal to those students who don’t want to eat irradiated food.”
“I am pleased to hear that Congresswoman’s Lee provision for the labeling of irradiated food has passed the House of Representatives,” said Assemblywoman Loni Hancock. “She and I started on the path together earlier this year by jointly introducing legislation at the federal and state levels. We are both supporters of parents’ and students’ rights to have sound information on irradiated foods so that parents and students can make informed choices.”
###