Tag: whole milk for healthy kids

NMPF Praises Senate Passage of Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation celebrated today’s latest step toward better nutrition for children, as the Senate passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act by unanimous consent.

The Senate’s unanimous support for the legislation means that only House passage and a presidential signature remain before improved access to dairy nutrition in schools becomes law. This bill would provide 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. “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.”

The Senate measure is sponsored by Senators 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.

“We thank Senators Marshall and Welch for their passionate advocacy for getting this bill over the finish line in committee and on the floor. Their leadership made this win possible,” Doud said.

Whole and 2% milk were removed from school meals programs beginning in 2012 as part of an effort to slow obesity in American kids that was based on science and nutrition advice that is now outdated.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.

With Senate approval, the next step is House passage. A similar bill 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.

NMPF Helps Break Regulatory Logjams

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft
  • Amplified whole milk’s importance in student meals
  • Stood against unrealistic EPA regulations
  • Shepherded change at the 39th NCIMS
  • Fostered H5N1 and New World Screwworm collaboration.

The Regulatory Affairs team has made significant headway this year on longstanding key issues as Washington policymakers take a fresh look at topics that have languished in some cases for decades.

Whole milk is poised to return to school menus after nearly a decade of NMPF effort.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, sponsored by Reps. GT Thompson, R-PA, and Kim Schrier, D-WA, and Sens. Roger Marshall, R-KS, and Peter Welch, D-VT, has been a top NMPF priority for more than half a decade. Thanks to NMPF’s constant amplification of the latest nutrition science and the benefits of whole milk, the legislation has come farther this year than ever before, passing the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry via voice vote. With multiple avenues available for full congressional approval this year, NMPF continues its advocacy for the legislation, which will return to schools the authority to offer whole and 2% milk in federally funded school meals.

In a win for agriculture, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Aug. 7 upheld a 2019 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that exempted air emissions from animal waste at farms from select reporting requirements subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, or EPCRA. EPCRA reporting requirements are tied closely to the reporting requirements for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA, which is commonly known as the Superfund statute. Both CERCLA and EPCRA include reporting requirements for releases of hazardous substances to the environment that NMPF has successfully contested for years.

For the second time on the same rule, NMPF filed comments July 11 to the Department of Health and Human Services opposing FDA’s proposed Front-of-Pack labeling rule as well as two proposed plant-based labeling guidance documents. These comments responded to a request for information as part of HHS’ deregulatory initiative begun by a Trump Administration executive order, and echo comments NMPF submitted directly to FDA in January about the proposed rules and guidance.

In its comments to HHS, NMPF states that FDA’s Front-of-Pack nutrition labeling scheme is a highly flawed, unlawful approach to educating consumers about food nutritional profiles. Because the front-of-pack label would only list saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, consumers will get an incomplete picture of that food’s nutritional profile. In its separate comments to HHS on plant-based guidance, NMPF pointed to ample evidence that mislabeling has led to confusion among consumers regarding the nutritional deficiencies of plant-based alternatives and that there are negative human health consequences as result of that confusion. NMPF helped deliver favorable outcomes for nine proposals it submitted on behalf of its members, including a standard for bulk-tank cleaning that’s better aligned with milk-truck standards, at the 39th National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, which met April 11-16 in Minneapolis. The conference tackled important issues facing FDA’s National Grade “A” Milk Program, the Grade “A” Milk Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) and related documents.

Support for eliminating H5N1 in dairy herds and rapidly developing an approved H5N1 vaccine for dairy cattle has continued this year. NMPF created an H5N1 Vaccine Working Group to help inform about potential H5N1 vaccination strategies for dairy cattle which may include target populations, vaccination protocols, surveillance frameworks, and communication needs for stakeholders. NMPF has also worked closely with USDA and FDA to monitor and prepare for a potential New World Screwworm infestation. A fact sheet for farmers to know what to look for in their herds and what to do if they suspect a case of NWS on their farm is available online, and NMPF will update members as new information emerges.

NMPF Applauds Senate Committee for Advancing Whole Milk Bill

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation applauded the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for supporting by voice vote the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a vital piece of legislation for increasing student milk consumption and nutrition access. 

The bill’s markup today is a critical step in passing this bipartisan legislation, which has already been approved at the House committee level.   

“The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is about making informed, science-backed decisions that prioritize the health and future of our children,” NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said. “We’re grateful that this common-sense legislation has received such strong support from both sides of the aisle. We commend Senators Marshall and Welch for authoring this bill in the Senate and advocating passionately for its passage, as well as Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar for their bipartisan leadership in moving the bill through committee. Passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will allow more schoolkids to access essential nutrients in their diets, and that’s something everyone can get behind.”  

This bill, if signed into law, would provide schools with the option of serving whole and 2% milk. Whole and 2% milk are the most consumed varieties at home, more satiating than lower fat varieties and offer the same 13 essential nutrients including protein, calcium and vitamin D.  Currently, school meal rules in effect since 2012 only allow 1% and fat-free milk options.  

The bill is sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-KS, Peter Welch, D-VT, Dave McCormick, R-PA, and John Fetterman, D-PA. In addition, Chairman John Boozman, R-AR and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, both strongly supported the bill as did many other committee members from both parties.  

The House of Representatives is considering similar legislation led by House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson, R-PA, and Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA. The House bill was approved by the House Education & the Workforce Committee with bipartisan support Feb. 12, and it now awaits floor action. The full House passed a similar bill in 2023, but that year’s session expired before Senate approval.  

With today’s successful committee vote, the next step is floor action in both the House and the Senate. NMPF has a call to action on its website urging dairy advocates to speak up on the bill.

Whole Milk Bill Poised for Senate Committee Vote

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is poised for more progress later today, with the Senate Agriculture Committee drafting its own version of the legislation, following the House of Representatives in moving forward critical legislation for dairy farmers.

The legislation sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-KS, and Sen. Peter Welch, D-VT, has been a top NMPF priority for more than half a decade. It overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in 2023 but stalled in the Senate. Senate progress boosts the prospects for the legislation to become law, Welch said earlier this month in a Dairy Defined podcast.

“This is one of those things where, if we get it on the floor, and get the cooperation of leadership, we get the votes,” he said. “This is one of those areas of rare bipartisanship that we have right now.”

School meals rules in effect since 2012 only allow 1% and fat-free milk options, to reduce calorie intake and combat childhood obesity. But that deprives children of the benefits of the whole milk that’s more commonly served at home, which includes essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, all of which are crucial for the development of strong bones, teeth, and muscles.

Once the Senate approves the legislation as expected, both the House and Senate versions will be ready for floor votes in their respective chambers, after which lawmakers will reconcile the two versions for a final vote. NMPF has a call to action on its website, urging dairy advocates to speak up on the bill.

Whole Milk Legislation has 60% Chance This Year, Sen. Welch Says

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act has a 60% chance of becoming law this year, with congressional momentum building along with consensus that whole milk in schools is the best option for schoolkids, Sen. Peter Welch, D-VT, said in a Dairy Defined podcast released today.

“This is one of those things where, if we get it on the floor, and get the cooperation of leadership, we get the votes,” he said. “This is one of those areas of rare bipartisanship that we have right now.”

Welch, the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s rural development subcommittee, is a Senate co-sponsor of Whole Milk for Healthy Kids, which passed the House of Representatives in 2023 and this year is advancing in both chambers. The legislation would restore the ability of schools to offer whole and 2% milk as options.

Welch also serves on the Judiciary, Finance and Rules committees, touching on agricultural issues including immigration and trade.

You can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.”

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 Celebrates Senate Support for Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation celebrated strong bipartisan Senate support for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act as senators begin considering this critical legislation.   

In a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry hearing held Tuesday to review the measure, committee members and panelists highlighted the role this bill could have in increasing student milk consumption and nutrition access while also potentially decreasing waste.  

“NMPF commends Sens. Roger Marshall, R-KS, and Peter Welch, D-VT, for advocating for our nation’s students to have more access to nutrient-rich dairy by allowing schools to offer whole milk with school meals,” NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud said. “We know that Americans are under-consuming dairy products, and as we heard today, students have said they want the milk they are familiar with and that they find satisfying. For many students, that’s whole milk.” 

NMPF also thanks Chairman John Boozman, R-AR, and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, for voicing their support for the bill. 

“We are grateful to Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar for convening today’s hearing, and we look forward to working with them and the bill’s bipartisan sponsors to move it forward,” Doud said. 

The House of Representatives is considering similar legislation led by House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson, R-PA, and Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA. The bill was approved by the House Education & the Workforce Committee with bipartisan support Feb. 12, and it now awaits floor action. Similar legislation passed the House by an overwhelming bipartisan margin in 2023 but was not taken up in the Senate. 

Science Makes the Case for Whole Milk, Teicholz Says

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

You don’t have to be part of the dairy sector to see how important whole milk is for children, best-selling author Nina Teicholz, Ph.D., said in the latest Dairy Defined Podcast.

That’s because nutrition science makes a compelling case for full-fat milk, underscoring the importance of getting whole milk back in schools, the goal of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, she said.

Children who drink whole milk tend to be healthier, she said. “You need the fat in the milk to digest the vitamins that are in the milk, those are fat soluble vitamins. “I’m not a dairy advocate, but it turns out that the science supports the position of those of people in the industry who would prefer to see whole milk back in schools.”

Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet,” also discussed how food policy might be shaken up by Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary.

NMPF has a call to action supporting the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act for listeners who want to get involved, here. For more of the Dairy Defined podcast, you can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.”

NMPF Statement on Bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:

“NMPF commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-PA, and Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA, for continuing to lead their bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to help increase kids’ access to milk’s vital nutrients.

“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reaffirmed in its Scientific Report last December that most kids and adolescents are not meeting daily dairy intake recommendations. Good nutrition is a cornerstone of children’s health and development, and milk plays an unparalleled role in providing the nutrients kids need to grow and thrive. But kids take more milk, and drink more milk, in school when they have nutrient-dense options they like. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that dairy foods at all fat levels have a neutral or positive effect on health outcomes, ranging from lower prevalence of obesity and diabetes to reduced heart disease risk and healthy cholesterol levels.

“We are grateful to the House Education and the Workforce Committee for approving the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act today on a bipartisan vote. It’s a critical step toward finally expanding the popular, healthy milk options schools can serve to improve student nutrition.”

NMPF Applauds Bipartisan Effort to Expand Students’ Access to Whole Milk

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:

“NMPF commends Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA, and Kim Schrier, D-WA, and Senators Roger Marshall, R-KS, Peter Welch, D-VT, Dave McCormick, R-PA, and John Fetterman, D-PA, for their leadership in boosting students’ access to crucial nutrition with their Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. Just last month, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reaffirmed that most Americans under-consume nutrient-dense dairy.  This much-needed bill lets schools offer students the healthful milk options that they are most likely to drink by permitting the serving of nutritious reduced fat and whole milk varieties, critically addressing kids’ under-consumption of milk’s essential nutrients.

“NMPF is ready to work with the bill’s bipartisan sponsors to move this commonsense, widely supported solution across the finish line this year.”

Whole Milk Win Points the Way Forward

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

What a great way to end a year — and begin a new one.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which is now law, not only because it represents major progress in improving the nourishment of American schoolkids, but because of what it says about the moment that dairy is experiencing, and the great opportunities this industry has to build on that momentum.

Just as much as $11 billion in new plant investment the industry is now experiencing, this legislation’s passage tells the story of how dairy has reasserted itself as essential to the American diet, after that position was seemingly threatened merely a dozen years ago. When whole milk was restricted from school menus in 2012, it was billed as a health measure — in that telling, milk had too much saturated fat, and too many calories, to be acceptable in anything other than 1% or skim forms. The types of milk Americans drank most at the time — whole and 2% milkfat — were rendered suspect in the eyes of the federal government, a move with significant implications for federal programs and the next generation of milk-drinkers.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, an effort led in the House by Rep. GT Thompson since 2019, frankly, was considered “aspirational” for several years — a nice idea, but not one with much hope of becoming reality. Demonization of dairy was rampant in media, and plant-based beverages were the next big thing, with sales and market share rising. It would have been easy at that time to have despaired for the industry, which also was going through a period of low prices and intensified consolidation.

But dairy farmers had a product they believed in. And in retrospect, from “almonds don’t lactate” statements at FDA to falling sales in some plant-based beverage categories, cracks were showing in the “Death of Dairy” armor.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the inflection point, as consumers increasingly sought tried-and-true nutrition options and became better educated about dairy’s value — as a result, they began buying noticeably more of it. Cottage cheese became a Gen Z craze that spread. Whey protein became the go-to energy supplement. Even as schools restricted options, the percentage of milk bought at retail that was whole or 2% increased. Plant-based beverage sales peaked in 2021 and have been declining since. Fluid milk sales reversed decades of decline, increasing in 2023.

Just as importantly, science began to more convincingly support what we knew all along — dairy fats don’t deserve demonization, and in fact have nutritional values we didn’t fully understand earlier. As fat concerns were shown to be overblown, it wasn’t just parents who endorsed dairy — it was leading nutritionists. And with marketplace and scientific consensus in alignment, Congress began to notice. Whole milk legislation moved from dream to no-brainer; in 2023 it became an overwhelmingly bipartisan reality in the House of Representatives, which easily passed GT Thompson’s bill. It would have passed the Senate too, were it not for concerns that Congress was outrunning the dietary guidelines, which was still looking backward at the science. We went to work on overcoming that concern, both in congressional advocacy and in reinforcing the newer finding on whole milk benefits.

And here we are today.

A successful effort such as this doesn’t come without a lot of work from a lot of people. Without consumer demand, political popularity doesn’t happen. Without scientists, the reassurance of skeptics that whole milk really should be back in schools doesn’t happen. Without the leadership in Congress, beginning with GT Thompson and co-sponsor Rep. Kim Schrier, as well as Senate sponsors Sens. Roger Marshall and Peter Welch, the bill doesn’t get the congressional attention needed to move forward. And without the united strength of dairy advocates, including company, state-level and association lobbyists, this issue doesn’t get in front of enough lawmaker desks to break through.

But I would like to single out one person for special recognition as this critical legislation is poised for passage. Paul Bleiberg, our Executive Vice President for Government Relations, fought for this legislation every stop of the way. From his early conversations with Thompson staff to his efforts to keep the legislation on the agenda, Paul has known how to harness public sentiment for effective advocacy and show leadership across the entire policy community to make the legislation got over the finish line. Paul deserves special recognition for efforts that will meaningfully improve the nutrition of children and the benefits that dairy farmers can provide. That’s a unique accomplishment, and Paul deserves all recognition he may receive.

Working for dairy is what we do. But it’s not just that. We work for dairy so that dairy can work for everyone. Restoring whole milk in schools helps dairy farmers better nourish a nation. That’s no small thing. It takes years.

Yes, there are frustrations — with the government, with prices, with all the challenges and inadequacies of living and working in challenging times, every day. But let’s not pass up the moment to celebrate, recognize and appreciate. Thank you to Paul, to the dairy community, to congressional leaders, and to consumers. We’re making a better world, and that doesn’t happen without you. Happy New Year.

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF