USDA Supports Classifying Potatoes as Vegetable, Not Grain Amid Concern Over Possible Change

‘I am pleased Secretary Vilsack called me personally to tell me that the USDA has no intention of reclassifying potatoes’ Sen. Collins said.

Sen. Susan Collins said the potato is a wonderfully nutritious food that is affordable, easy to transport, has a long storage life. An Nguyen/Shutterstock

Potatoes will officially be classified as a vegetable and not a grain after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) threw its support behind keeping the current classification in place, according to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

The lawmaker said in a press release Wednesday that she had received a call from USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack on Tuesday, during which he informed her that the agency would “officially support” keeping the household staple classified as a vegetable.