Dear Editor: I was delighted to learn that the US Department of Agriculture has finally shown some interest in protecting consumers. Its new Dietary Guidelines are recognizing fortified soy milk as a calcium source on par with cow’s milk. School cafeterias are finally allowed to replace greasy hamburgers, laced with cholesterol and pathogens, with wholesome, soy-based veggie burgers. It’s about time. The U.S. Senate Select Committee for Nutrition and Human Needs recommended reduced meat consumption back in 1977. American Dietetic Association, American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute and other national health advocacy organizations have advocated increased consumption of fruits and vegetables for more than a decade. Recently, even the giant food conglomerates like ADM, ConAgra and Kraft have gotten into the act by launching vegetarian food lines. These must be heady times for the folks who celebrated the 16th anniversary of the Great American Meatout held on March 20. Nearly 2,000 communities in all 50 were expected to participate in America’s oldest and largest grassroots diet education campaign with information tables and other educational events. Friends and neighbors were asked to kick the meat habit, at least for a day, and to explore a more wholesome diet of fruits, vegetables and grains. It is sound advice that the USDA and the rest of us should have adopted a long time ago. Alison Gottlieb