Dive Brief:
- Dr. Janey Thornton, USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, is retiring.
- Dr. Thornton worked to implement new standards for children's school lunches that included more fresh produce consumption.
- Before joining USDA in 2009, she was a countywide school nutrition director and president of the School Nutrition Association.
Dive Insight:
Dr. Thornton promoted efforts for more produce in school lunches even when the mandates were under fire in 2013, as some schools began dropping out of the federal lunch program. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, "She has throughout her distinguished career always, always put our children first. They have had no better advocate for a healthier start in life or healthier meals at schools than Janey."
