States Sue Trump Administration Over Plan to Allow More Salt in School Food

Apr 03 2019, 3:45 PMApr 03 2019, 5:45 PMApril 03 2019, 3:45 PMApril 03 2019, 5:45 PM

(Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration was sued by a half-dozen states over its plan to allow more salt and less whole grains in school -- a decision that rolled back rules put in place by former President Barack Obama to improve childhood nutrition.

The suit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, claims the U.S. Agriculture Department implemented a final version of the national guidelines for breakfasts and lunches in schools in 2018 without giving states a chance to weigh in as required by Congress.

The change "significantly weakened the nutritional standards" put in place in 2012, the complaint says. New York is joined by California, Illinois, New Mexico, Minnesota, the District of Columbia and GOP-led Vermont.

The states’ suit is one of many attacks on Trump initiatives that have sought to reverse or undermine Obama-era policies, from environmental rules to the Affordable Care Act. Politicians in mostly Democratic high-tax areas have also assailed a new federal cap on deductions for state and local taxes, known as SALT, which triggered another suit last year.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has eliminated the final maximum sodium target that was scheduled to take effect in the school year beginning in fall 2022, and cut in half the amount of whole grains required to be served starting in fall 2019, according to the complaint. Perdue said the change would make meals more palatable and keep kids from turning to less-healthy options.

Last year, almost 30 million children -- mostly from low-income and minority families -- ate about 5 billion school lunches while more than 14 million children ate school breakfasts, according to the complaint. Three-quarters of the lunches and 85 percent of the breakfasts were provided for free or at reduced prices.

The Obama-era standards included phased-in salt restrictions on 10-year timeline to reduce the sodium content of school meals and increase the whole grains served in schools.