Another food fight? Congress mulls school meal standards

WASHINGTON -- Add another item to lawmakers' busy fall agenda: Congress must decide whether to do battle again with first lady Michelle Obama over school lunches with more whole grains and less salt.

Last year, school-food rules pitted Obama against House Republicans seeking temporary exemptions for some schools. The first lady said she would fight "to the bitter end" to make sure children have good nutrition, and the GOP eventually abandoned the exemptions push.

Now, Republicans hope to find bipartisan compromise on the rules and also dollars for the nation's child-nutrition programs before the law expires Wednesday. So far, however, negotiations have failed to produce a bill in either the House or the Senate.

Lawmakers may not seek an immediate extension if the law expires. The school-food rules won't change unless Congress takes action, and the Agriculture Department said other programs would continue to operate as long as Congress passes a budget this fall.

The rules phased in since 2012 set fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on foods in the lunch line and beyond. Schools are required to follow government nutrition rules if they accept federal reimbursements for free and reduced-price meals for low-income students, but the new standards are stricter.

While many schools have had success putting the rules in place, many Republicans say the standards have posed too many challenges for school-nutrition officials who must balance serving healthy foods with getting children to eat their lunches.