All ground beef used in government school lunch programs have to be tested to ensure that it is free of salmonella, but the Bush administration wants to reverse that federal policy. Officials say the zero tolerance standard for salmonella in school lunch meals was not scientifically justified. The decision has been hailed by the meat industry and criticized by consumer groups and some legislators, who note that the tougher standard had resulted in the rejection of almost 5 million pounds of ground beef during the school year, almost 5% of the total purchase by the USDA. More than 26 million children participate in the school lunch program. Salmonella poisoning in a variety of foods causes 1.4 million illnesses, generally diarrhea and intestinal distress, and 600 deaths a year in the United States.