ADVERTISING INDEX LOCATED ON PAGE A10 March 2024
Volume 41
48 Pages
PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308
Phone: (509) 397-2191
Number 12
YOU SAY POTATO
but some nutritionists say the ubiquitous staple is a ...
GRAIN
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Government nutritionists are considering labeling potatoes as a grain. Potato growers and others in the industry remain apprehensive.
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By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press
his is a quiz. A potato is: a) a vegetable b) a grain c) something else. The federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is considering reclassifying the potato from vegetable to something else — possibly a grain — raising concerns within the potato industry, which produces one of the most popular foods in the nation. Every man, woman and child eats more than 112 pounds of potatoes a year. The committee’s report is due this fall to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and USDA, which will develop the 20252030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Reclassifying the potato could result in reduced usage in school and other federal nutrition programs, and even the loss of specialty-crop See Potato, Page A8
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