Tag: milk in schools

Whole Milk Nearly Back in Schools as NMPF Leads Advocacy

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

U.S. Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act opens a path to congressional passage this month, with NMPF leading an advocacy campaign to ensure prompt House of Representatives approval of legislation that will benefit children’s nutrition.

The Senate unanimously passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act on Nov. 20, leaving only House passage and a presidential signature before improved access to dairy nutrition in schools becomes law. The bill provides schools with the option of serving whole and 2% milk in addition to the 1%, fat-free, and flavored options currently offered.

Whole and 2% milk are the most consumed varieties at home, offering the same 13 essential nutrients including protein, calcium and vitamin D with a taste kids often prefer.

“Restoring schools’ option to offer whole and reduced-fat milk will mean more schoolkids will get the essential nutrients they need,” NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said in a statement after Senate passage. “This commonsense legislation will help American children get back on solid nutritional footing. We’re grateful that both sides of the aisle can come together and agree on the importance of making informed, science-backed decisions that prioritize the health and future of our children.”

Following the Senate’s action, NMPF last week launched a final advocacy campaign to get whole milk over the finish line and into schools. Dairy farmers and advocates wishing to urge their House members to bring the legislation to a floor vote can visit NMPF’s advocacy page and enter their message. NMPF is staying active on social media and in news outlets, pushing to get the bill on the House calendar.

USDA removed whole and 2% milk from school meals programs beginning in 2012 as part of an effort to slow obesity in American kids, a move based on science and nutrition advice that is now outdated. Research over the past decade has found that milk at all fat levels has a neutral or positive effect on health outcomes, ranging from obesity and diabetes to heart disease.

A bill similar to this year’s overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in 2023 but stalled in the Senate. House Committee on Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson, R-PA, has led the charge in the House on this issue for years, with Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA, as coauthor, and this bill is expected to pass with strong bipartisan support once again.

The Senate legislation was co-sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-KS, Peter Welch, D-VT, Dave McCormick, R-PA, and John Fetterman, D-PA. Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman, R-AR, and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, led the committee in approving the bill by voice vote in June.

Whole Milk for Healthy Kids: Now is the Time

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

After years of patient effort, Congress seems headed for a long-overdue correction to misguided nutrition policy. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is moving forward, and with it an opportunity to better nourish the next generation of American schoolkids.

We’ve been down this road before. The same legislation passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2023, but the Senate didn’t consider it before time expired in that Congress. This time, Senate prospects are stronger. Last month, the Senate Agriculture Committee reviewed the bill at a legislative hearing, which showcased the strong bipartisan support the measure enjoys.  Its House counterpart committee has already approved it, and we are hopeful for similar Senate action.

After that, the next step is the floor. With overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers, this legislation is a chance for both parties to agree on something – and that’s too good of an opportunity for Congress to pass up. More likely, lawmakers will want to move quickly, showing their constituents a win on a popular – and important – issue.

From a nutrition standpoint, bringing whole and 2% milk back into schools, which the legislation would allow, is a no-brainer: Kids benefit from consuming high-quality nutrition, and whole milk is a high-quality nutritious food they will actually consume. This is even more important, considering that roughly 90 percent of the U.S. population does not meet current dairy recommendations, as USDA recently told the Senate Ag Committee.

School meals rules in effect since 2012 only allow 1% and fat-free milk options, ostensibly to reduce calorie intake and combat childhood obesity. That oversimplifies the complexities of child nutrition. Whole milk is a rich source of essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, all of which are crucial for the development of strong bones, teeth, and muscles. The fats present in whole milk also play a vital role in brain development and overall growth. Most importantly, kids prefer whole milk. That boosts consumption and reduces food waste. Better used, better-targeted nutrition is a compelling combination the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would achieve.

Putting whole milk in schools also aligns with the latest dietary science. The demonization of dietary fats, particularly saturated fats found in whole milk, is being increasingly debunked – but the widespread misconceptions they have fostered take time to turn around. Emerging research suggests that saturated fats are not inherently detrimental when consumed as part of a balanced diet; in fact, they help absorb fat-soluble vitamins and provide long-lasting energy that is essential for active children. By excluding whole milk from school menus, we may be depriving children of these critical benefits.

We’re also depriving them of what parents overwhelmingly choose to serve them at home. In 2012, the year changes to school meals guidelines eliminated whole milk as an option, 69 percent of fluid milk bought at retail was whole or 2% milk. After a dozen years of kids being forced to consume only skim or 1%, that percentage rose to 81 percent. It’s time to stop swimming against the tide and align schools with parental choice.

Ultimately, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is about making informed, science-backed decisions that prioritize the health and future of our children. We’ve been active boosters of this legislation, sponsored in the House by Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-PA, and Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA, and in the Senate by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, and Sen. Peter Welch, D-VT, every step of the way. As it moves forward, expect us to be asking for your support. (You can subscribe to our Advocacy Alerts, along with other NMPF publications, here.) This legislation is a meaningful step towards ensuring that every child has access to the essential nutrients they need to thrive. It isn’t an opportunity we want to miss.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is not just a legislative proposal; it’s a path toward a healthier, more nutritionally sound future for our children. It’s vital that Congress moves swiftly to enact it into law. Our children’s health and well-being depend on it.

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

NMPF Statement on Continued Allowance of Low-Fat Flavored Milk in Schools

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

From NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern:

“Ensuring kids have access to the nutrients they need to grow and thrive is a top priority for dairy. We thank USDA for the rule’s provision that maintains schools’ ability to serve low-fat, 1% flavored milk. One percent flavored milk is not only fully consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is also a nutrient-dense, low-fat healthy option kids will choose to drink. I would also like to thank Representatives Joe Courtney and G.T. Thompson for their long-time leadership on this issue. We look forward to continuing to work with them, USDA, and others to help ensure everyone has access to nutritious food.”