Pizza is a Vegetable: Another Example of Corporate Influence on US Politics

You've probably already heard that Congress reclassified the tomato sauce on pizza as a vegetable for school lunches. The phrase "pizza is a vegetable" has even already become an internet meme.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about: basically, Congress blocked proposed changes by the USDA to make school lunches healthier.

As the New York Times reported, "Food companies including ConAgra, Coca-Cola, Del Monte Foods and makers of frozen pizza like Schwan argued that the proposed rules would raise the cost of meals and require food that many children would throw away... The companies called the Congressional response reasonable, adding that the Agriculture Department went too far in trying to improve nutrition in school lunches."

This is a perfect example of the control large companies have over our political system. These big food companies basically bought out Congress to not allow healthier changes to be made - "practical, science-based standards" supported by nutrition experts.

I read the politics section of reddit occasionally, and Tarkaan, a reddit user, wrote something I really agree with: "See, the reason this is offensive and that you should be outraged by it is because nutritionists and scientists guided public policy to improve health and nutrition in children. ConAgra came in and spent a bunch of money, and erased the work that science has done." Tarkaan relates this decision back to Occupy Wall Street and one of the major things the movement is about: protesting the corporate influence on our democratic process.

The Occupy movement has been getting a lot more attention lately, especially after the videos of the police officers pepper spraying UC Davis protesters went viral. Although the videos showing police brutality are disturbing and important, the Occupy movement is about much more than reforming our enforcement practices. Corporate influence and lobbying affect so much, including public health.