Tater Debate: 14 Senators Come Together To Mash USDA’s Grainy Ideas On Potatoes
Fourteen senators are pushing back against a potential reclassification of potatoes from vegetables to grains by the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services.
The senators submitted a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Tuesday, arguing for the potato’s status as a vegetable based on its nutritional profile and scientific classification, reported The Hill.
The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is reportedly considering changes in food groups, including the interchangeability of starchy vegetables and grains. The proposed change has sparked concerns within the potato industry, which could be economically affected by this reclassification.
A USDA spokesperson, however, clarified that the committee is not considering altering the classification of potatoes. Nevertheless, the senators emphasized the potential confusion for consumers, retailers, restaurant operators, and growers that such a change could cause.
This is not the first time the USDA’s classifications have been contested. In 2011, the USDA’s proposed limitations on starchy vegetables and tomato paste on pizza were successfully challenged by the Senate.
The letter was signed by senators from potato-growing states, including Colorado, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, and Oregon, as well as Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).
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