Batter-coated fries OK'd as vegetable

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Who appointed this judge? Is it any surprise he's from Texas?

By IRA DREYFUSS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- Batter-coated french fries are a fresh vegetable, according to the Agriculture Department, which has a federal judge's ruling to back it up.

But the department said Tuesday that the classification applies only to rules of commerce, not nutrition, and it doesn't consider an order of fries the same as an apple in school lunches.

The ruling last week by federal District Judge Richard Schell in Beaumont, Texas, allowed batter-coated french fries to be considered fresh vegetables under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. Most other frozen fries had been on the list since 1996.

Regulations under the law help to assure buyers of commodities such as french fries that they are getting what they ordered, said George Chartier, a spokesman for the department's Agricultural Marketing Service. Frozen fries are fresh simply because they don't meet the standard necessary for them to be listed as processed, and adding batter to the fries does not change the classification, he said.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152&slug=French%20Fries%20Vegetables

[PartyPooper]

1. What about Tater Tots?

Do they count as veggies, too?

:bounce:

[sniffa]

2. bush IS just Like reagan

now i see the resembLance.

[struggle4progress]

3. Two more vegetables!

[DainBramaged]

4. So, are home fries now building material?

n/t

[Dr Fate]

5. mmmm, big ol battered, gas-station fries!!!

Pass the hot sauce!!!

[celestia671]

7. Yum!

I love those! There's a store not too far from my house that makes the best jo jo's!

[jayavarman]

6. Reminds me of the whole Ketchup thing

with Raygun

[Heddi]

8. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=623701

[Dr Fate]

12. it's a different headline & article...

...one thing's for sure- "battered" & "fresh" in the same headline is funny as hell...!!

[DieboldMustDie]

9. So fries & ketchup count as 2 vegetables.

:crazy:

[Heddi]

10. whoops

double post!

[markses]

11. Everyone read Marion Nestle's "Food Politics"

A great book by an expert. The USDA should not be both suppporting commerce and giving nutritional advice. It is a fundamental conflict of interest.

[Markus182]

13. Ummm

But the department said Tuesday that the classification applies only to rules of commerce, not nutrition, and it doesn't consider an order of fries the same as an apple in school lunches.

Well that's good, especially considering that an apple is a fruit, not a vegetable.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Gruel is a vegetable.

Give 'em that for lunch.

[Voltaire99]

15. Well, that explains why Americans are so healthy!

They sure like their batter-coated deep-fried veg.

[daleo]

16. Buttered popcorn

Another nutritious vegetable snack.

[Eye and Monkey]

17. Under The Venerated Reagan, KETCHUP was a vegetable.

So was CATSUP. Under Reagan admin federal guidelines for public school lunch programs, KETCHUP was considered a veggie. Eat your five-a-day!

[DemoVet]

18. Maybe they'll declare tobacco a vegetable

start putting cigs on the kid's lunch trays. Hey, gotta start 'em young.

[testing123]

19. With Reagan ketchup?

Yum!

[Cronus Protagonist]

20. Seems perfectly OK to me

This appears both pedestrian and routine. The potato, the main ingredient if you prefer, is uncooked and is in its raw state, which is a raw vegetable. The batter coating is an additive. Nothing to see here. Move along now.

:)

BLAME BUSH FIRST!

Click here for "BLAME BUSH FIRST", and other fair and balanced yet stunning buttons, magnets and stickers

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Moderator]

22. duplicate

Please continue the lunchroom discussion in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=623701