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Congressional Testimony on the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization
Summary of Recommendations
Enhance WIC Program
- Encourage breastfeeding over the use of infant formula
- Restrict the availability of soy infant formula for WIC mothers;
require a doctors prescription
- Further upgrade the enhanced food package for breastfeeding WIC
mothers to include butter as well as additional milk, cheese, eggs
and meat
- Upgrade WIC food packets to reflect the latest nutritional thinking
that stress high quality foods from four groups which help stem obesity
Encourage Procurement of Local Farm Products For School Food Programs
- Continue support for Farm-To-School food programs
- Extend and expand Fruit and Vegetable School Pilot Program
- Include animal foods in farm procurement programs
Ban Sale of Soft Drinks and Snack Foods in School Vending Machines
- Soft drinks contain high levels of sugar or artificial sweeteners,
caffeine and phosphoric acid, that contribute to obesity, diabetes
and poor bone health in growing children – replace soft drinks
with bottled water, milk, low fructose fruit juices
- Replace vending-machine snacks with wholesome snacks prepared at
the school and sold in school snack bars
Ban Irradiated Foods in USDA's School Lunch Program
- Repeal section 4201(b)(3) of the 2002 Farm Bill so that the USDA
may prohibit irradiated foods for use in School Lunch Program
- Irradiation disrupts the chemical composition of food and creates
chemicals called unique radiolytic products that are not naturally
occurring in foods and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has never studied for safety
Recommendations for the
Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act
House Education and Workforce Committee
Submitted by the Weston A. Price Foundation
Sally Fallon, President
July, 2003
Mr. Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member, on behalf of the members
and 170 local chapters of the Weston A. Price Foundation, we thank you
for the opportunity to submit our recommendations to the House Education
and Workforce Committee on the serious health issues facing our children
today, particularly the rapidly growing incidence of obesity in American
children. The reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act is a very important
step in curbing this unnecessary health risk while enhancing the nutrition
and well being of our children.
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt nutrition
education organization founded in 1999 to restore nutrient-dense foods
to the American diet through education, research and activism. The research
of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated non-industrialized
peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the
optimum characteristics of human diets, serves as the basis of the Foundation's
work. Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect
physical form and optimal health generation after generation only when
they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators,
such as vitamins A and D, found exclusively in animal foods.
The Foundation supports a number of movements that contribute to this
objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic farming,
pasture feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and
informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies.
Our recommendations will focus attention on the Women, Infant and Children
(WIC) Program and the School Meal Programs.
I. WOMEN, INFANT AND CHILDREN PROGRAM
The Congress established the WIC Program in 1972 as a two-year pilot
program with permanent authorization in 1974. The stated goal of the
program was the prevention of nutritional deficiencies among low-income
women and children, deficiencies that threatened their health and led
to higher medical costs. WIC offers food programs to improve the diets
and well being of low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum
women and their infants and children up to and including age four. WIC
seeks to prevent premature births and low birth weight babies as well
as compromised development among babies and young children.
WIC is a $5 billion program serving over seven million women and children.
Nearly 50 percent of all infants in the U.S., 25 percent of all children
age one to four and 25 percent of all pregnant women participate in
the WIC program.
Encourage Breastfeeding Over the Use of Infant Formula
One of the stated purposes of the WIC program is the encouragement
of breastfeeding. Unfortunately, this laudable goal has become compromised
by the increased availability of free infant formula to WIC mothers.
Free infant formula--with a market value of approximately $80 to $90
per month--sends a powerful message to WIC mothers to utilize infant
formula, especially to those WIC mothers who work and have less available
time to breastfeed.
Between 1989 and 1995, the percentage of WIC mothers breastfeeding in
the hospital increased by 36.3 percent, from 34.2 to 46.6 percent, while
the percentage for non-WIC mothers breastfeeding in hospital increased
by 12.9 percent from 62.9 to 71 percent. The percentage of WIC infants
breastfeeding at six months of age increased by 51.2 percent, from 8.4
to 12.7 percent, while for non-WIC infants, the percentage breastfeeding
at six months of age was 29.2 percent in 1995, an increase of 22.7 percent
from 1989. While the number and percentage of WIC mothers who breastfeed
has increased in recent years, breastfeeding in the WIC program still
lags behind national averages. Over half of WIC mothers utilize infant
formula while in the hospital and about 87 percent use infant formula
or other feeding methods when their infants reach six months of age.
While many individual WIC counselors encourage breastfeeding, the
infant formula rebate program provides little incentive to managers
of the program. Rebates from formula manufacturers have provided billions
of dollars of extra funding to WIC with little Congressional oversight.
WIC State agencies are required by law to have competitively bid infant
formula rebate contracts with infant formula manufacturers. This means
that a WIC State agency agrees to provide one brand of infant formula
to its participants and in return receives money back, called a rebate,
from the manufacturer for each can of infant formula purchased by WIC
participants. As a result, WIC pays the lowest possible price for infant
formula. The brand of infant formula provided by WIC varies from State
agency to State agency, depending on which company has the rebate contract
in a particular State.
In 1988, infant formula rebates provided WIC with $32 million in additional
funding. This has grown to $1.5 billion in FY2001, which added 2.1 million
participants to the program during that same fiscal year. Up to one-fourth
of available funding for the WIC program comes from the infant formula
rebate program. The rebate program decreases the monthly average food
package cost to infants from the $90 to $27. While the extra funding
for the WIC program is surely needed, we wonder whether the rebate program
inadvertently undermines the promotion of breastfeeding in the WIC program.
We encourage the USDA to increase its promotion of breastfeeding
as research continually shows that breastfeeding is the healthiest way
to nurture an infant. This can be done by withholding free
samples of infant formula to postpartum mothers in the hospital and
by increased health counseling to pregnant and postpartum mothers about
the benefits of breastfeeding.
In 1993, the USDA began efforts to enhance the food package breastfeeding
mothers to, in part, counter the use of infant formula. In addition
to the basic package – Food Package V - for pregnant and breastfeeding
mothers (7 gallons milk or 4 pounds cheese, 2 dozen eggs, 36 ounces
cereal, 8 liters juice and 1 pound legumes or 18oz. peanut butter),
breastfeeding mothers can receive an additional 1 pound cheese, 26 ounces
tuna fish, extra juices and peanut butter and 2 pounds carrots under
the enhanced food package – Food Package VII. We encourage
the USDA to further upgrade the enhanced food package to include butter
as well as additional milk, cheese, eggs and meat.
Restrict Availability of Soy Infant Formula
The WIC program offers both milk-based and soy-based infant formula
to low-income families throughout the US. An estimated 25 percent of
North American bottle-fed babies receive infant formula made from processed
soybeans. Use of soy formula in the WIC program closely corresponds
to the 25 percent figure, according to the USDA.
Soy promotional material claims that soy provides complete protein
that is less allergenic than cows' milk protein. When soy infant formula
first became commercially available, manufacturers even promised that
soy formula was "better than breast milk."
In fact, there are many toxins in soy infant formula, some that occur
naturally in the soybean and some that are added during processing.
When an infant consumes soy-based formula as its only food, it receives
a very large dose of these toxins. Even in Asia, soy is consumed only
in small amounts--ranging from 10 to 60 grams per day--usually
as a fermented condiment. Soy was never traditionally used for infant
feeding.
Soy-based formulas contain high levels of anti-nutrients that can block
mineral absorption and inhibit digestion. They contain very high levels
of manganese, which have recently been linked to brain damage and violent
behavior in older children and adults who were fed soy formula. Developmental
problems are compounded by the fact that these formulas lack both cholesterol
and lactose, which are vital to the development of the brain and nervous
system.
Most importantly, soy-based formula contains very high levels of phytoestrogens
(isoflavones), plant-based estrogens that can cause endocrine disruption,
resulting in early maturation and fertility problems in girls and delayed
sexual development in boys.
Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen
compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Infants
exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at
least five birth control pills per day. Almost 15 percent of white girls
and 50 percent of African-American girls show signs of puberty, such
as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some
girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature
development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure
to environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.
Male infants undergo a "testosterone surge" during the first few months
of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult
male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics
after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and
other masculine physical traits, but also in setting patterns in the
brain characteristic of male behavior. In animals, soy feeding indicates
that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters. A recent
study involving marmoset monkeys found that soy feeding in infancy prohibits
this testosterone surge. Rats exposed to soy isoflavones at very low
doses in utero and as infants have smaller testes than normal and exhibit
inhibited sexual behavior.
Soy is not a healthy alternative for infants unable to tolerate milk-based
formula. Often babies grow normally on soy formula with the problems
appearing only later, at the onset of puberty. Some of the problems
reported anecdotally in children who were brought up on soy formula
include extreme emotional behavior, learning difficulties, asthma, immune
system problems, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, early development
in girls and disrupted sexual development boys.
Often soy-based formula is automatically given to African American
mothers on the premise that African American infants are lactose intolerant.
This is a fallacy. African American infants are no more prone to lactose
intolerance than the children of other races. Virtually all babies produce
the enzyme lactase for digesting lactose, the sugar in milk, as human
milk is very high in lactose.
Babies who are allergic to milk can be given a commercially available
formula of hydrolyzed protein or one based on meat. We suggest
that USDA encourage the development of meat-based infant formulas for
the small numbers of infants who are truly allergic to milk-based formula.
A summary of problems caused by soy is as follows:
- High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium,
magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized
by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long,
slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
- Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and
may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin
inhibitors caused stunted growth.
- Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential
to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
- Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism
and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula
has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
- Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase
the body's requirement for B12.
- Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D. Toxic
synthetic vitamin D2 is added to soy milk.
- Fragile proteins are over-denatured during high temperature processing
to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
- Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine
and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
- Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during
soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
- Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the
nervous system and the kidneys.
- Soy infant formula contains no cholesterol, a substance vital to
the development of the brain and nervous system.
In other countries, official recommendations about soy have included
warnings about overuse or side effects:
- The Australian College of Pediatrics recommends that soy formula
not be indiscriminately used, noting that the routine use of soy may
result in side effects.
- The New Zealand Ministry of Health recommends routine assessment
of thyroid function in infants on soy formula.
- A Canadian Government Committee recommends the restriction of soy-based
formula to infants who "cannot be fed dairy-based products for healthy,
cultural or religious reasons, including galactosemia or a vegan lifestyle."
- The Food Safety Authority of Ireland does not recommend the routine
use of soy-based formula in infants.
- The Swiss Federal /Commission on Food recommends the "use of soya
bean products as baby foods should be made very restrictive" and allowed
only in a few medical conditions (lactose intolerance, galactosemia
and cow's milk allergy).
- The United Kingdom Department of Health states that cow's milk
formulas are preferable for most bottle-fed babies and that infant
formula manufacturers should investigate ways to reduce the levels
of phytoestrogens in soy-based infant formulas.
- The UK Working Group of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals
in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment COT) recently stated
that "there is cause for concern about the use of soy-based infant
formula. Additionally, there is neither substantive medical need for,
nor health benefit arising from, the use of soy-based infant formula."
(2003)
We recommend that the Congress to restrict the availability
of soy infant formula in the WIC Program. Soy infant formula
should be available to WIC mothers only through a doctor's prescription
(see attached amendment).
In addition, processed foods based on soy should carry a warning
to consumers about possible endocrine disruption and thyroid problems.
Redesign WIC Food Packages to Help Counter Overweight and Obesity
Obesity is on the rise in America, especially among disadvantaged groups.
African-American and Mexican-American children are twice as likely as
non-Hispanic white children to have a body mass index of more than 25,
the definition of overweight. In the last three decades, the number
of overweight young Americans has tripled, with no sign the trend is
abating. According to the Surgeon Generals' 2001 report on obesity,
13 percent of children and adolescents were overweight in 1999.
WIC food packages were originally designed to help stave off hunger
among its participants. The current prevalence of overweight and obesity
among WIC participants now requires that WIC food packages be redesigned
to help curb this health issue.
WIC food packages are established by the USDA through regulations with
the approval of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies,
which develops Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) and the new Dietary
Reference Intakes (DRI) for nutrients. The current WIC food package
is under review and revisions will be released in early 2005, according
to the USDA. Concurrently, the USDA is revising its Dietary Guidelines
and Food Pyramid with expected release of new guidelines in 2005. WIC
food packages must conform to the requirements of USDA's Dietary Guidelines
and Food Pyramid.
The current USDA Dietary Guidelines and Food Pyramid recommends a diet
based largely on grains in the form of bread, crackers, paste, rice,
etc., with small amounts of meat, dairy and fats and oils. In fact,
the current Guidelines strongly favor a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
The current Guidelines stipulate that total fats should make up 30 percent
or less of total calories, with saturated fats contributing to 10 percent
or less of total calories. Carbohydrates should comprise between 45
to 65 percent of food intake by calories. These guidelines have been
criticized as contributing to the epidemic of obesity in America, due
to high levels of carbohydrates, particularly high glycemic index refined
carbohydrates such as white flour and white rice.
Pediatrician clinicians have noted a number of years ago that children
put onto a low fat and low cholesterol diets failed to grow properly.
When researchers prominently associated with the American Heart Association
fed children lower fat diets and measured some of the health markers
they consider important predictors of heart disease, they learned that
these lower fat diets were causing the very problems they wanted to
prevent. The children whose genes would normally have been producing
the desirable form of low density lipoproteins - light fluffy LDL -
started to make the dangerous form of LDL - small dense LDL's.
The USDA has called for proposals to make changes to the Food Pyramid
recommendations.
The most likely candidate is a food pyramid recommend by Dr. Walter
Willett of Harvard University. His version calls for a diet based on
a combination of whole grains and vegetable oils (olive, canola, soy,
corn, etc.), with the same strictures on animal foods and saturated
fats as found in the current guidelines.
Dr. Willett's proposed guidelines are likely to further the trend to
obesity and disease. With the exception of olive oil (which is rarely
used in processed foods), commercial vegetable oils contain free radicals
and dangerous breakdown products that cause heart disease, cancer, inflammation
and aging, as well as increased obesity. In the young, diets based on
vegetable oils depress learning and cause growth problems. Furthermore,
these oils are often partially hydrogenated and contain dangerous trans
fatty acids. Over 30 years of research has shown that consumption of
trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats
have many adverse heath effects such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes,
immunity issues, reproduction and lactation, and obesity. Trans fatty
acids are typically found in processed foods that utilize partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils.
We recommend that the Food Pyramid concept should be abandoned.
The USDA should return to a plan that stresses high quality
foods from four basic groups. The use of processed and highly sugared
foods should be strongly discouraged, especially those foods that contain
high fructose corn syrup.
In addition, USDA should discontinue the unscientific opposition
to animal fats. Animal fats are stable, do not easily develop
free radicals, and contain nutrients that are vital for good health.
Children, in particular, need high levels of quality animal fats to
achieve optimal physical and neurological development.
The Weston A. Price Foundation urges the USDA as well as the Congress
to revise the dietary guidelines as follows:
- Everyday, eat high quality, unprocessed foods from each of the
following four groups:
1. Animal foods: meat, fish, eggs and whole milk products
2. Grains and legumes: whole grain baked goods, breakfast porridges,
beans
3. Fruits and Vegetables: preferably fresh or frozen
4. Fats and Oils: unprocessed monounsaturated and saturated fats including
olive oil, peanut oil, butter and other animal fats, palm oil and
coconut oil.
- Eat sparingly: sweets, white flour products, processed foods, polyunsaturated
vegetable oils, partially hydrogenated oils and fried foods.
We believe that by following our recommendations to the dietary guidelines
and modifying WIC food packages to conform to these recommendations,
overweight and obesity, as well as many other health problems, will
dramatically decrease in the country.
II. REVISIONS TO THE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS
The USDA manages a number of nutrition programs for our nation's children,
including the School Lunch, School Breakfast, Special Milk, Summer Food
Service and the Child and Adult Care Programs. Over 30 million of our
nation's children particpate in these various programs. We urge the
Congress to at least maintain current funding levels for these very
important programs, while revising several of the program offerings
as follows:
Encourage Procurement of Local Farm Products for School Food Programs
According to latest statistics, less than 13 percent of school-age children
eat the recommended amount of fruit. On any given day, 45 percent of
children do not eat any fruit and 20 percent eat less than one serving
of vegetables. Overall, only 15 percent of our children eat the USDA-recommended
five servings a day of fruits and vegetables.
The American School Food Service Association estimates that 30 percent
of the nation's 23,000 public schools sell fast food. In an increasing
number of schools, the food service department is contracting out lunch
to fast food chains such as McDonalds, Domino's or Taco Bell.
However, a growing number of food service departments at schools across
the U.S. have been joining forces with parents, teachers, community
activists, and farmers to create new opportunities for healthy student
lunch offerings while simultaneously supporting small farmers within
their region. These Farm-to-School programs usually include the following:
- Salad bars purchased from farmers' market fruits and vegetables
- Recipes integrating appropriate seasonal, regionally grown produce
- Farmer cooperatives supplying produce directly to school districts
- Farmers selling produce directly to schools using programs sponsored
by the USDA and the Department of Defense
Farm-to-School programs help ameliorate this situation by promoting
the procurement and availability of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
At least 68 school districts around the country currently operate farm-to-school
programs with many more planning to do so in 2003.
We are encouraged by early reports on the wide spread acceptance of
the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Project authorized by the 2002 Farm
Bill. The USDA launched the pilot in the summer of 2002 in four midwestern
states and the Zuni Nation. Participating schools, which numbered 106,
reported dramatic increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables by
students and, most interestingly, a dramatic drop in the use of vending
machines. We encourage the Congress and the USDA to extend and
expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Project to the entire country.
We suggest that Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Project include
animal foods (meats, eggs and dairy products) as well as fruits and
vegetables. It is vitally important for children to have access
to hormone-free meats from cattle not raised in confinement or on factory
farms, free range chickens and eggs and dairy products from cows that
are not fed antibiotics and raised in confinement. The program should
also be used to discourage the use of industrially created processed
foods in children's diets.
In addition, soy milk is not a healthy option to cow's milk. Consumption
of high levels of soy milk is associated with thyroid problems and endocrine
disruption. The USDA should not reimburse schools that decide
to offer soy milk as well as cow's milk.
Encouraging the growth of farm-to-school programs would go a long way
to help stem the growth of obesity and other health problems in our
nation's children.
Ban Sale of Soft Drinks and Processed Snack Foods in School Vending
Machines
The Weston A. Price Foundation encourages the Congress to call
for a ban on the sale of soft drinks and snack foods in school vending
machines. Soft drinks contain high levels of sugar or artificial
sweeteners, caffeine and phosphoric acid that contribute to obesity,
diabetes and poor bone health in growing children. One can of soda contains
approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg. of caffeine,
and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites. Aspartame is
used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different
health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including
brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures.
Further, when aspartame is stored for long periods of time or kept in
warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde
and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.
Studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and
heart disease. Despite this, soda accounts for more than one-quarter
of all drinks consumed in the United States.
Teenagers and children, who many soft drinks are marketed toward, are
among the largest consumers. In the past 10 years, soft drink consumption
among children has almost doubled in the United States. Teenage boys
now drink, on average, three or more cans of soda per day, and 10 percent
drink seven or more cans a day. The average for teenage girls is more
than two cans a day, and 10 percent drink more than five cans a day.
School districts, hungry for funds for extra-curricular programs, have
signed "pouring" contracts with soft drink corporations, giving
these corporations the ability to both sell and promote their products
at the schools. There are an estimated 20,000 vending machines in schools
nationwide, according to the National Automatic Merchandising Association.
These machines generated an estimated $750 million for schools in 1997,
based on figures from the trade journal Vending Times. Many schools
have expressed a reluctance to give up such contracts without other
sources of funding made readily available.
The USDA collected data on vending machines in schools and reported
the following statistics:
- 88 percent of high schools, 61 percent of middle schools and 14
percent of elementary schools have food or beverage vending machines
for student use.
- 34 percent of high schools and 15 percent of middle schools permit
students to use school vending machines at any time, and 6 percent
of elementary schools allow students to use vending machines during
lunch.
Nationwide, school districts decreased the amount of milk they bought
by nearly 30 percent between 1985 and 1997. During the same period,
they increased their purchases of soft drinks by 1,100 percent. The
soda industry responded to this and other trends by increasing U.S.
production from 22 to 41 gallons per person a year between 1970 and
1997.
To counter this trend, seventy-six proposed bills in 28 states have
attempted to restrict or ban the sale of carbonated soft drinks in schools.
Only one, in California, passed, but it has not been enacted because
the law also has requirements for school lunch funding that have not
been fulfilled. Among the bills just being written or introduced are
ones that would stop the sale of soft drinks in school vending machines,
put restrictions on the kinds of snack foods that can be offered, require
fast-food restaurants to put nutrient information on food packages,
and allocate funds for bike and walking paths.
Snack foods sold in vending machines provide little food value and
contain trans fatty acids, which can contribute to heart disease, cancer
and many other diseases. We urge the replacement of vending-machine
snacks with wholesome snacks prepared at the school and sold in school
snack bars. Such snacks should include fruit, cheese, peanut
butter, sandwiches, nuts and trail mix, cookies made with wholesome
ingredients, and popcorn.
Schools that have replaced soft drinks and processed snack foods with
water and fruits and vegetables have found high acceptance among students
with little or no attendant loss in revenues.
Ban Irradiated Foods in the School Lunch Program
The Weston A. Price Foundation strongly encourages the Congress
to repeal section 4201(b)(3) of the 2002 Farm Bill so that the USDA
may prohibit irradiated for use in School Lunch Program. Recently,
the USDA issued a statement that school districts may purchase irradiated
meats under the auspices of the School Lunch Program. Guidelines are
to be published in the fall of 2003 outlining the purchase process,
which is not mandatory. The Foundation is actively working with its
members to educate school districts and PTA's about the detrimental
health effects of irradiated foods.
We believe that irradiated food has not been proven safe, particularly
for children. Irradiation disrupts the chemical composition of food
and creates chemicals called unique radiolytic products that are not
naturally occurring in foods and that the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has never studied for safety.
Irradiation destroys vitamins, essential fatty acids and other nutrients
in food. Research has revealed a wide range of health issues in animals
given irradiated foods including genetic damage, organ malfunctions,
stillbirths, premature death, a rare form of cancer, low weight gain
and vitamin deficiencies.
There is a lack of research into the long-term health effects experienced
by children who are exposed to toxic chemicals in foods. The only controlled
study of children, published in 1975 in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, found that a diet of irradiated food had mutagenic
effects. Studies on children have not been done since, primarily for
ethical reasons because of the dangers seen in early studies.
New research from Europe on alkylcyclobutanones, one class of unique
chemicals created during the irradiation process, has further indicated
the need for caution. The FDA and the USDA have never publicly addressed
this new toxicity information. Yet, these European studies establish
that substances unique to irradiated foods cause cellular and genetic
damage and promote colon tumor formation in rats.
In addition, irradiation merely masks problems in meat processing that
result in contaminated meat. Poor sanitation and improper slaughter
and processing practices in meat and poultry plants must be corrected,
otherwise all consumers remain at risk. It is a mistake to accept food
irradiation as a solution to food contamination problems within the
industry.
Lastly, the USDA does not require that parents, students or teachers
be informed that school meals have included food that has been irradiated.
Parental right–to-know is of essence to an informed society.
Do not subject our children to unproven technologies. They do not deserve
to be guinea pigs for the irradiation industry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Weston A. Price Foundation thanks you for the opportunity to present
our recommendations on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.
The Congress has an incredible opportunity to help stem the tide of
obesity in this country while improving the nutrition and health of
our children.
If you have any further questions, please contact Sally Fallon or
Bill Sanda, Director of Public Affairs, at
or by phone at 202-333-HEAL. Our very informative and educational website
can be found at www.westonaprice.org.
WESTON A. PRICE FOUNDATION
PMB 106-380, 4200 WISCONSIN AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, DC 20016
(202) 363-4394
WEBSITE: www.WestonAPrice.org
EMAIL: WestonAPrice@msn.com
Amendment to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended
Restrict the Availability of Soy Infant Formula to Mothers with Infants
Participating in the WIC Program
Amendment:
Section 17(f)(12) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 is amended by
adding at the end of the paragraph the following sentence, "Soy infant
formula shall be made available to infants of non-breastfeeding mothers
only by prescription from physicians as defined in section (17)(b)(3)."
Rationale:
The WIC program offers both milk-based and soy-based infant formula
to non-breastfeeding mothers of infants. An estimated 25 percent of
North American bottle-fed babies receive infant formula made from processed
soybeans. Use of soy formula in the WIC program closely corresponds
to the 25 percent figure, according to the USDA.
There are many toxins in soy infant formula, some that occur naturally
in the soybean and some that are added during processing. When an infant
consumes soy-based formula as its only food, it receives a very large
dose of these toxins. Even in Asia, soy is consumed only in small amounts--ranging
from 10 to 60 grams per day--usually as a fermented condiment.
Soy was never traditionally used for infant feeding.
Soy-based formulas contain high levels of anti-nutrients that can block
mineral absorption and inhibit digestion. They contain very high levels
of manganese, which have recently been linked to brain damage and violent
behavior in older children and adults who were fed soy formula. Developmental
problems are compounded by the fact that these formulas lack both cholesterol
and lactose, which are vital to the development of the brain and nervous
system.
Most importantly, soy-based formula contains very high levels of phytoestrogens
(isoflavones), plant-based estrogens that can cause endocrine disruption,
resulting in early maturation and fertility problems in girls and delayed
sexual development in boys.
Soy is not a healthy alternative for infants unable to tolerate milk-based
formula. Often babies grow normally on soy formula with the problems
appearing only later, at the onset of puberty. Some of the problems
reported anecdotally in children who were brought up on soy formula
include extreme emotional behavior, learning difficulties, asthma, immune
system problems, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, early development
in girls and disrupted sexual development boys.
Often soy-based formula is automatically given to African American
mothers on the premise that African American infants are lactose intolerant.
This is a fallacy. African American infants are no more prone to lactose
intolerance than the children of other races. Virtually all babies produce
the enzyme lactase for digesting lactose, the sugar in milk, as human
milk is very high in lactose.
Six countries including Canada, the U.K and Australia have issued official
recommendations about soy that included warnings about overuse or side
effects.
Babies who are allergic to milk can be given a commercially available
formula of hydrolyzed protein or one based on meat.
There is no added cost associated with this amendment. The WIC program
provides for physician review of medical cases.
SCHOOL CHILDREN REQUIRE
WHOLE MILK FOR OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT
Reduced Fat Milks
Compromise Human Development
- The milk of all mammals contains high levels of fat. Nature does
not make mistakes; mammalian milk contains fat because young animals
and young humans need this fat to develop and grow properly.
- The butterfat in milk contains vital fat-soluble vitamins needed
for the utilization of the protein and minerals in the water fraction
of the milk. Butterfat in milk works synergistically with the protein
and minerals in milk.
- Butterfat provides glycosphingolipids that aid digestion1 and CLA
that helps prevent cancer and obesity.2
- Obesity is an ever increasing problem in our young people. Farmers
know that the best way to fatten pigs is to give them skim milk--pigs
fed whole milk do not get fat. The metabolism of the pig is very similar
to the metabolism of the human. Giving whole milk to our children
will help prevent obesity.
- The rationale for giving children lowfat milk is that this measure
will help prevent heart disease in the future. However, there is absolutely
no evidence that heart disease can be prevented by denying important
fats to growing children. In fact, in a recent study, children on
lowfat diets produced the most atherogenic fraction of cholesterol
(small, dense LDL-cholesterol). The study indicated that lower-fat
diets cause the very problems such diets are supposed to prevent.3
- Children on lowfat diets exhibit growth problems and failure to
thrive.4
- Certain types of special fatty acids in butterfat (EPA, DHA and
AA) are vital to the proper development and functioning of the brain
and nervous system.5
- In a recent study, almost 150 girls, ages 8 to 10 years, were put
on lowfat diets to reduce their elevated cholesterol levels. After
five years, the average estrogen and progesterone levels were almost
one-third lower compared to girls on diets containing normal amounts
of fats. Lowfat diets thus inhibit the production of hormones vital
for reproduction.6
REFERENCES
- Koopman, J S, et al, American Journal of Public Health,
1984, 74:12:1371-1373.
- Belury, M A, Nutr Rev, April 1995, 53:(4)83-89; Kelly,
M L, et al, Journal of Dairy Science, Jun 1998, 81(6):1630-6.
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000, 71:1611-1616
- Smith, M M, and F Lifshitz, Pediatrics, Mar 1994, 93:3:438-443.
- Preventive Medicine, Mar-Apr 1998, 27(2); 189-94; The
Lancet, 1998, 352:688-91; "Good Fats Help Children's Behavioral
Problems," Let's Live, September 1997, 45.
- Journal of the National Cancer Institute, January 15,
2003.
LACTOSE INTOLERANCE IN INFANTS
Lactose intolerance is defined as the inability to break down or digest
lactose, the sugar found in mammalian milk, due to the absence of the
enzyme lactase. Lactose is a disaccharide that is split by the enzyme
lactase into two simple sugars, galactose and glucose. The galactose
component is very important for the development of the brain and nervous
system. (Sucrose, another disaccharide, breaks down into glucose and
fructose, and does not provide galactose.)
In societies that do not consume milk or milk products, lactose intolerance
occurs frequently in the adult population. However, virtually all infants
produce lactase in the gut so that they can digest their mother's milk.
Human milk contains higher levels of lactose than that of other mammals
because of higher requirements for galactose in the development of the
more advanced human nervous system and brain.
The more expensive infant formulas contain lactose. The less expensive
formulas, particularly those based on soy protein, contain sucrose rather
than lactose. Sucrose is less expensive than lactose and helps formula
makers keep their costs down.
The WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program distributes infant formula
to low-income families throughout the US. In general, soy-based formula
is given to African American mothers on the theory that African American
infants are lactose intolerant. This is a fallacy. African American
infants are no more prone to lactose intolerance than the children of
other races.
Although true lactose intolerance is extremely rare in infants, many
babies have difficulty digesting commercial formulas--both those based
on milk and those based on soy. This could be due to a true allergy
to a specific protein in the milk or the soy, or it could be due to
a sensitivity to one of the many additives in these formulas, Carrageenan
used in liquid formulas, for example, is very difficult to digest and
can cause reactions often misdiagnosed as "allergies" or "lactose intolerance."
Children who react badly to milk-based formula are often given soy-based
formula instead. This is a grave mistake as soy-based formulas contain
high levels of anti-nutrients that can block mineral absorption and
inhibit digestion. Soy based formulas lack both cholesterol and lactose,
which are vital to the development of the brain and nervous system.
Soy-based formula contains very high levels of phytoestrogens (isoflavones)
that can cause endocrine disruption, resulting in early maturation and
fertility problems in girls and delayed sexual development in boys.
And soy-based formulas have very high levels of manganese which have
recently been linked to brain damage and violent behavior in older children
and adults who were fed soy formula.
There are a number of choices available to babies who do poorly on
regular milk-based infant formula. An excellent formula can be made
with a dry milk-based formula (lacking carrageenan) with the addition
of egg yolk and cod liver oil. (See recipe below.) One dry formulation
contains hydrolyzed proteins that are easier for babies to digest. Gerbers
formerly made a meat-based formula. Formula companies should be encouraged
to provide meat-based formulas once again. Finally, some parents have
reported excellent results using homemade formulas following recipes
given in books on infant feeding published in the 1930s and 1940s. These
whole foods homemade formulas are based on whole unprocessed or cultured
milk; or on liver and broth.
Of course, breast milk from healthy, well-nourished mothers is the
ideal food for babies. The WIC program should encourage breast feeding
while also making appropriate infant formulas available.
SATURATED FATS ARE BENEFICIAL, NOT HARMFUL
- Saturated fats (or, more properly, saturated fatty acids) occur
in large amounts in animal fats such as butter, lard (pig fat) and
beef tallow, and in tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil.
Fats containing high levels of saturated fatty acids tend to be solid
at room temperature.
- Saturated fatty acids are said to cause cancer, heart disease and
obesity. Yet these diseases were rare at the turn of the century when
consumption of saturated fats was much higher than it is today. The
likely culprits for these conditions are polyunsaturated fatty acids
and trans fats, which came into widespread use after WWII.1
- As saturated fats are stable, they do not become rancid easily,
do not call upon the body's reserves of antioxidants, do not initiate
cancer, do not irritate the artery walls.
- Saturated fats actually play many important roles in the body chemistry.
Because they are needed in large amounts, the body makes the saturated
fats it needs out of carbohydrates when they are not supplied in sufficient
amounts in the diet.2
- Vitamins A and D, which are vital for proper growth and for protein
and mineral assimilation, are found only in mostly saturated animal
fats.
- Saturated fats enhance the immune system, thereby protecting us
against infection and cancer.3
- Saturated fats help the body lay down calcium in the bones and
help prevent osteoporosis.4
- Saturated fats provide energy and structural integrity to the cells.5
At least 50% of the cell membrane must be saturated fat for the cells
to work properly.
- Saturated fats protect the liver from alcohol, drugs, pesticides
and other poisons.6
- Saturated fats enhance the body's use of essential fatty acids,
which the body needs in small amounts and obtains from whole foods.7
- Stearic acid, found in beef tallow and butter, has cholesterol-lowering
properties and is a preferred food for the heart.8
- Saturated fats are needed for the kidneys to work properly.9
- The lung surfactants are composed of saturated fatty acids.10 The
lungs cannot work without adequate amounts of saturated fats.
REFERENCES
- Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, The Cholesterol Myths, NewTrends
Publishing, Washington, DC, pp217-234.
- Mary G. Enig, PhD, Know Your Fats, Bethesda Press, Silver
Spring, MD 2000, p 5.
- J J Kabara, The Pharmacological Effects of Lipids, J J
Kabara, ed, The American Oil Chemists' Society, Champaign,
IL, 1978, 1-14; L A Cohen, et al, J Natl Cancer Inst, 1986,
77:43
- B A Watkins, et al, "Importance of Vitamin E in Bone Formation
and in Chrondrocyte Function" Purdue University, Lafayette, IN, AOCS
Proceedings, 1996; B A Watkins, and M F Seifert, "Food Lipids and
Bone Health," Food Lipids and Health, R E McDonald and D
B Min, eds, Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY, p 101
- J F Mead, et al, Lipids: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Nutrition,
Plenum Press, 1986, New York
- A A Nanji, et al, Gastroenterology, Aug 1995, 109(2):547-54;
Y S Cha, and D S Sachan, J Am Coll Nutr, Aug 1994, 13(4):338-43
- M L Garg, et al, The FASEB Journal, 1988, 2:(4):A852;
R M Oliart Ros, et al, Meeting Abstracts, AOCS Proceedings, May 1998,
p 7, Chicago, IL
- L D Lawson and F Kummerow, "B-Oxidation of the Coenzyme A Esters
of Vaccenic, Elaidic and Petroselaidic Acids by Rat Heart Mitochondria,"
Lipids, 1979, 14:501-503
- Busconi and Denker, Biochem J 1997;328:23
- Mary G. Enig, PhD, Know Your Fats, Bethesda Press, Silver
Spring, MD 2000, p 31.
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF
EXCESS POLYUNSATURATED OILS
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids occur in small amounts in all foods.
Polyunsaturated oils contain large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty
acids. Commercial polyunsaturated oils made from corn, soy, safflower
and sunflower seeds are new to human diets. The use of these industrially
processed oils is 4 fold higher today than it is was in 1900.1
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids are very fragile. When exposed to heat
and oxygen, as during industrial processing, they form free radicals
and other harmful breakdown products that damage the body in many
ways.2
- Modern processing destroys the vitamins and antioxidants in vegetable
oils, but the pesticides are retained.3 (Seed oils are highly sprayed.)
- Polyunsaturated oils cause the formation of black-brown ceroid
pigment deposits, a sign of aging.4
- In animal studies, polyunsaturated oil shorten life-span and increase
the possibility of atherosclerosis, cancer and other disease.5
- Polyunsaturated oils increase the levels of uric acid in the body,
a sign of the destruction of protein. An elevated level of uric acid
is a heart disease risk factor.6
- In animals, consumption of excessive polyunsaturates causes cirrhosis
of the liver, similar to that caused by excessive alcohol.7
- Many studies have shown that polyunsaturated oils cause cancer.8
- Polyunsaturated oils are particularly damaging to the reproductive
organs and the lungs.9
- Polyunsaturated oils depress learning ability, especially under
conditions of stress.10
- Polyunsaturated oils given to young animals and impair growth.11
- When heated, as in cooking, polyunsaturated oils bond to each other
forming polymers, leading to digestive problems (Varnish and shellac
are polymers).12
REFERENCES
- Mary G. Enig, PhD, Know Your Fats, Bethesda Press, Silver
Spring, MD, 2000, p 94
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, August 1971.
- Unpublished research by the Food and Drug Administration, cited
in Edward R. Pinckney, MD, The Cholesterol Controversy, Sherborne
Press, 1973, p 53.
- Lipid Pigments in Relation to Aging and Dietary Factors," Pigments
in Pathology, M Wolman, ed., New York, Academic Press, 1969.
- Medical Counterpoint, March, 1969.
- W. Stan Wilson, The American Journal of Medicine 51:491;
Lancet 2:358, February 15, 1969; Internal Medicine News,
November 15, 1971.
- Archives of Pathology, 82:596, December, 1966; Modern
Medicine, June 14, 1971.
- "Nutrition in Relation to Cancer," Advances in Cancer Research,
New York, Academic Press, 1953; "Some thoughts on Food and Cancer,"
Nutrition Today, January, 1972.
- A. L. Tappel, Nutrition Today, December, 1967.
- Psychological Reports, 29:79, 1971
- Journal of Nutrition, 55:577, April 1955; Journal
of the American Oil Chemists' Society, 33:630, December 1956;
Lipids 1:254, July, 1966.
- Journal of Nutrition 60:13, September, 1956.
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