American School Food Service Association

                                              Release No. 0065.98

                                                                 
Remarks

                               of
                     Secretary Dan Glickman
            American School Food Service Association
               26th Annual Legislative Conference
             Washington, D.C.  -- February 9, 1998

     Thank you Melinda for that introduction and for the work you and
everyone here do for America. I also want to thank this organization for
giving me Shirley Watkins, USDA's new Under Secretary for Food and Nutrition
Services. She needs no introduction here.  

     You know, when Shirley was in Memphis running the school lunch program,
she would re-route left-over food headed for the dumpster to local food banks. 
  Eventually, we learned about her initiative, and we were so impressed with
her efforts that she is now my top deputy in the federal anti-hunger effort.

     I talk all the time about improving the lives of our fellow Americans by
fighting hunger and improving nutrition. But I must admit, I feel a bit
humbled standing here with all of you. It reminds me of that joke about dairy
cows: two dairy cows are grazing along the side of the road. A milk truck
drives by. On the side of it -- in big capital letters and exclamation points
-- it reads:  Pasteurized! Homogenized! Vitamin-enriched! Good for you!' The
one dairy cow turns to the other dairy cow and says,  kind of makes you feel
inadequate, doesn't it?' That's sort of how I feel right now speaking to some
of the most important foot soldiers in America's war on hunger.

     In his State of the Union, President Clinton had a lot to say about how
strong our nation is today. The strongest economy in a generation; the first
balanced budget in a generation; the lowest unemployment in a quarter century,
and low interest rates that are enabling more Americans to buy a home, start a
business, or send a child to college. We are in such a good position today,
that President Clinton is now working to drive the deficit down to zero and
shore up social security -- priorities that many Americans had all but given
up hope could ever be accomplished. 

     President Clinton also has made it clear that in the coming century, the
power of our minds will determine the strength of our nation. Our highest
priority must be making sure that every child receives a quality education
and, through it, a chance to live their American dream. 

     And, when we talk about improving education, we must talk not just about
increasing the number of teachers and decreasing class size -- or
strengthening education standards and the buildings in which our children
learn. We must also talk about making sure that all of our children show up
for school ready to learn ... which is where all of you play such an important
role.

     I know I'm preaching to the choir when I say that no child should ever
have to try and learn on an empty stomach. No one here needs a study to tell
them that, nor to be reminded that it isn't just how much a child eats, but
what they eat that counts.  

     Over three decades ago, President Kennedy focused this nation's
attention on physical fitness and the importance of vigorous, regular
exercise. Today, it is an integral part of every child's school day. Our
challenge is to make that same strong link between a capable mind and a
quality meal. This is especially critical at an early age. Study after study
shows the connection between a nutritious diet and a child's mental alertness
and cognitive development. Healthy food makes for healthy children and avid
learners. That's the basic principle behind our child nutrition programs.

REAUTHORIZATION
     Of course, everyone here knows that the school lunch program grew out of
World War II, when young boys were showing up for the draft malnourished ...
hardly a new problem. Napoleon noted that  an army marches on its stomach.' 
Fortunately today, we have school nutrition programs not so our children can
fight wars, but so they can contribute to a strong America.

     This is a critical time for our efforts. Right now, as child advocates,
as education advocates, as anti-hunger advocates, we have an historic
opportunity -- one this nation hasn't seen in 20 years -- to retool these
programs that are serving our children well -- strengthening them and adapting
them to today's circumstances. 

     We're still hammering out the details of this Administration's proposal
to reauthorize America's child nutrition programs. But we will send our plan
to Congress shortly, and I promise you today: Our plan will reflect the
priorities of an education-first administration. 

     We have heard from you on a number of issues -- from making sure our
kids have enough time to eat, which is something we're working closely on with
the Department of Education -- to making sure that our programs don't bury you
in paperwork, impeding our goal of feeding children. 

     More broadly, we have to ask ourselves: how have the challenges facing
us in education, and facing families in raising their children changed in the
past 20 years? One obvious answer is the rise of single-parent and dual-income
households. Demanding schedules are a fact of life for most families today.
That often makes wholesome sit-down breakfasts a thing of the past. It's not
really an income issue, so much as it is one of time. We just can't seem to
find that elusive 25th hour in the day. 

SCHOOL BREAKFAST
     Can more schools help America's families bridge the gap -- giving
parents the option of dropping their children off early, secure in the
knowledge that they can get a healthy start, secure in the knowledge that if
that family can't afford breakfast, children will not have to go without? It
is my hope that working together, our answer can be  yes.'

     We have made progress. In the past decade, we've more than doubled the
number of children who get school breakfast, and nearly doubled the number of
schools that are participating. But still today 19 million fewer children
receive school breakfast than school lunch. Obviously, most are eating at
home, but many are not.

     Soon USDA will launch a nationwide school breakfast campaign to educate
families on the convenience and nutritional value of school breakfasts. Our
reauthorization plan will also reflect a serious commitment to cutting through
the red-tape that too often deters schools from running a breakfast program. I
know that this is an important priority for all of you.

FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION
     I also want to recognize school food service workers for your commitment
to food safety. This organization has done a tremendous job highlighting the
importance of safe-food handling. I know that USDA's  Serving It Safe' seminar
is making the rounds at schools to update kitchen and production staff on the
latest techniques and information.

     This is an issue that hits home for every American family -- families
have to trust that their government and those who prepare their food are
putting their safety first. Right now, there is no silver bullet that can
guarantee our food is safe. Our best bet is to make sure that -- at every
point from farm to table -- we are vigilant. In his 1999 balanced budget,
President Clinton made an historic investment in food safety -- giving a more
than $100 million increase to everything from cutting-edge research, to
consumer education, to inspections. Today, I am pleased to announce that two
million of those proposed dollars will go to schools across the country to
develop workshops to educate school food service providers about safe food
handling practices. USDA and this Administration intend to be strong partners
in your efforts to safeguard our children's health.

NUTRITION EDUCATION
     Healthy, nutritious school meals will always be our shared goal. But we
also want to encourage healthy eating habits that last a lifetime. USDA
recently received a complaint from a mother whose daughter's kindergarten
class took part in one of our nutrition education programs. Seems that now
every time they go shopping, the little girl reads the labels and rejects
anything that's unhealthy. Mom said that because her daughter was right, she
couldn't correct her. Instead, the whole family has been forced to eat better.
Now, I'm not one to deny anybody their occasional indulgence -- but I like to
hear stories about families moving in the right direction, and leading
healthier lives.

     And, I like to hear that our work in the classrooms is turning children
into teachers in their own homes. Listen to this lecture:  If you eat better,
you're more physically fit and you can think more clearly.' Those are the
words not of a nutritionist or a researcher, but a high school student in
Idaho. The message does get through. If we give kids not just the facts, but
how those facts can make a real difference in their lives, they will listen
and learn.   

     Diet is associated with five of the 10 leading causes of death in this
country, including heart disease, stroke and cancer. If we can start young and
really impress on our kids the importance of nutrition, then we can help
produce a healthier America.  

SCHOOL LUNCH GLEANING
     I'd also like to see a less hungry America. Many of you may know that
it's a personal mission of mine to make sure that good food doesn't go to
waste so long as people go hungry. I want to thank the many of you who are
already involved in food recovery efforts in your community. Every year, our
nation throws away a quarter of its food -- much of it perfectly edible. Food
that's in a dented can, produce that's shaped a bit funny, an extra pan of
lasagna at a restaurant -- food that can't sell, but can feed people.   

     The school nutrition programs are in a unique position to help. I know
that it's more difficult for you because leftover food that can be saved for
the next day must be, so we stretch tax dollars as far as they'll go. But we
also know that sometimes, good food has nowhere to go but the dumpster. When
that's the case, we need to put up a detour that gets that food to the hungry. 

     This year USDA will award 12-14 grants of up to $10,000 to test sites
around the country to develop food recovery efforts that are appropriate for
the School Lunch Program. If successful, I hope that these efforts can lead to
a nation-wide school lunch gleaning campaign -- helping ensure our children
get what they need to eat -- in and out of school.

CONCLUSION
     They say the measure of any generation is how well it prepares the next.
This Administration is committed to giving every child a solid education that
empowers them to face the challenges  ahead. I want to thank all of you for
being such strong allies in this effort. You are making a critical
contribution to the growth and progress of our children and our nation. Thank
you.
                                 
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