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ACDA Members Present Comments to USDA on National School Lunch
Program
On
September 11, 2008, at the invitation of the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA), Scott Mandell, CEO, President and
Co-Founder of Enjoy Life Food, and Carol Shilson,
Executive Director of the University of Chicago Celiac
Disease Center, provided comments
on the National School Lunch Program saying that
children with special dietary needs such as Celiac
Disease, food allergies and other health concerns are
not accommodated under the current program.
The
meeting, held by the Food and Nutrition Service of the
USDA, was a Request for Public Comments for Use in
Preparing for 2009 Reauthorization of the Child
Nutrition Programs, which includes the National
School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program; and
the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which support
nutritious meals and snacks served to children in
schools, child care institutions and afterschool care
programs.
Speaking on behalf of the American Celiac Disease
Alliance (ACDA) and Enjoy Life Foods, Mandell said, “On
behalf of the children, their parents and caregivers
that are currently excluded from receiving program
benefits, I strongly urge the USDA to make the necessary
changes to the National School Lunch Program to
ensure that ALL eligible students can benefit from this
important, federally assisted meal program.”
Mandell
supported his comments by citing the growing number of
children affected by Celiac Disease, food allergies,
food intolerances and autism:
-
Celiac Disease, is the world’s most common genetic
auto-immune disease, and is estimated to affect at
least 1% of the population[i].
At this time, the only known treatment for Celiac
Disease is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet
for life (gluten is the protein that is found in
wheat, barely and rye).
-
Food allergies are estimated to affect 6 to 8% of
children and 3 to 4% of adults[ii],
and diagnoses are on the rise. For the over 12
million Americans with food allergies, symptoms can
range from mild, such as gastrointestinal
discomfort, to life threatening as is the case with
anaphylactic shock.
-
Another 30 million Americans have food intolerances[iii]
that cause them to avoid certain foods.
-
And finally, one in 150 children are affected by
autism[iv]
which can be effectively managed by following a diet
free of gluten and casein (the protein found in
dairy).
Carol
Shilson, Executive Director of the University of Chicago
Celiac Disease Center and ACDA member, also provided
comments on behalf of Stefano Guandalini, M.D., the
Center’s founder and medical director. “It is not right
that children with celiac disease should be denied a
safe meal or given food that is nutritionally
inadequate. Surely we cannot expect our children to
learn and thrive with such conditions. It is our duty to
see that all children are provided with a nutritious and
safe meal at school,” Guandalini commented.
Shilson
also presented results from a recent survey by the ACDA,
which revealed that among 2,229 parents of children with
Celiac Disease, only 111 were able to get a gluten-free
lunch at school. The others had to pack a lunch or go
without, according to the ACDA survey.
[i]
Dr. Stefano Guandalini, University of Chicago
Celiac Disease Center
[ii]
FAAN
[iii]
National Institutes of Health
[iv]
Autism Society of America
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