USDA to continue classifying potato as a vegetable, not a grain

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 1, 2024

The United States Department of Agriculture will keep the potato classified as a vegetable rather than a grain following a bipartisan effort from Maine’s congressional delegation to retain the potato’s current vegetable classification. In response to fears that an independent committee reviewing the dietary guidelines might move potatoes from the vegetable to the grain category, congressional leaders from around the country, including Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Angus King, Rep. Chellie Pingree and Rep. Jared Golden, sent letters to Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra voicing their opposition to the potential reclassification.