Ben Carson draws criticism over nutrition remarks

Dr. Ben Carson, the National Nutrition Advisor at the Department of Agriculture, drew criticism following remarks made during a ‘Make America Healthy Again’ event in Washington. While discussing the importance of providing children with fresh, nutritious food, Carson cited ‘sweet corn and hot dogs’ as examples of produce that could be grown in the ground.

Carson spoke alongside Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. to promote the ‘Harvest to Hallways’ initiative. This program aims to connect American farmers with local schools and includes planned investments of up to $70 million for school cafeteria infrastructure and up to $25 million in ‘Farm to School Grants’ within the current year. The initiative is designed to provide states and school districts with tools to deliver more nutrient-dense meals to children.