Progress toward a national food policy-its implications.

Over the last several years, the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs has conducted hearings in an effort to obtain experts' recommendations, prior to proposing legislation to establish a comprehensive national nutrition plan. The framework for such a plan, as developed by the Committee, is presented here. A "nutritional state of the union" report-to include a formal assessment of existing conditions plus specific goals-would be made annually. To insure accountability, a Federal Nutrition Office, headed by a Cabinet-level official, would be responsible for coordination and monitoring all nutrition programs in all governmental agencies and would have the right to review (but not veto) proposals before an agency could issue them officially. In addition, there would be a National Nutrition Center in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, charged with day-to-day administration of expanded nutrition program. This Center would operate at the Sub-Cabinet level.