Agriculture chief promises better food alerts to schools
By Peter Eisler and Blake Morrison/USA TODAY
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pledged Tuesday that the government will do a better job alerting schools across the nation when it suspects that food for school lunches might be contaminated. "We understand and appreciate that there has been a … gap in communication, which results in school districts not getting information on a timely basis," Vilsack told lawmakers during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on child nutrition programs. Vilsack's comments came during questioning by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who asked about a USA TODAY investigation published Tuesday. The newspaper reported that schools know almost nothing about where the food they serve comes from, even when government regulators are aware it may be contaminated. (more...)