Canned pineapple products meet the four considerations required for purchase by the Agriculture Department for the national lunch program, Senator Hiram L. Fong has written to Orville L. Freeman, Secretary of Agriculture.

This was a follow-up of a letter Fong wrote in February asking the department to purchase canned pineapple products for the lunch program as requested by the Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii.

As far as prices are concerned, Fong said accepted bid prices by the Military showed that canned pineapple was competitive with peaches.

The average price per case for pineapple was $4.37 and for peaches $3.98.

On the matter of transportation cost, Fong said the principal ocean carrier between Hawaii and the Mainland has agreed to carry Government-purchased pineapple at the lower Military Sea Transport Service rate.

After further discussion, the carrier gave its assurance that even lower rates will be made available to the Government on purchases for the school lunch program.

Fong didn’t mention the carrier but Matson is the principal carrier to the West Coast.

As for preference for certain foods by schools and nutritional value of foods, Fong said the Agriculture Department’s own survey showed pineapple is a wanted and nutritional food for child health in the school lunch program.

In his letter, Fong asked Freeman what steps he has taken to include pineapple in the program for the next fiscal year.

From the points he made, Fong said there appears to be no obstacle to prohibit the use of pineapple in the next year’s school lunch program.