Michelle Obama and President Obama hold hands during an event

A Look at Food Policy and Potential Trump Changes

The Obama administration was the first to significantly raise the profile of food policy, championing laws and pushing through regulation to make food safer, more nutritious and better labeled.

November 15, 2016 | Source: The New York Times | by

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration was the first to significantly raise the profile of food policy, championing laws and pushing through regulation to make food safer, more nutritious and better labeled.

A look at some of those policies, and what may happen to them in a Trump administration:

SCHOOL MEALS: First lady Michelle Obama made healthier school meals one of her signature issues. A Democratic Congress passed legislation expanding healthier standards for school foods in 2010, and Mrs. Obama successfully fended off Republican attempts to scale them back. Trump hasn't weighed in on school meals, but Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt, a member of his agricultural advisory committee, says there likely will be new efforts to revise the rules.

FOOD SAFETY: A food safety law signed by President Barack Obama five years ago requires farmers to test irrigation water quality, regularly train workers on the best health and hygiene practices and monitor wildlife that may intrude on growing fields, among other measures. It also increases inspections in food manufacturing facilities. A fact sheet issued by the Trump campaign in September criticized the food safety rules, but that language was deleted in a second version of the memo.

NUTRITION FACTS: The Food and Drug Administration issued a new version of the "Nutrition Facts" labels that are on the backs of food packages, the first overhaul of the label since its introduction in 1994. The sugar industry has objected to a new line that breaks out the amount of added sugars. The rules are in place, but most food companies have until July 2018 to comply.