Bipartisan members of the House voted 330-99 in support of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act allowing whole milk and 2% milk to again be allowed in school lunches.
The Obama administration removed whole milk from school meals in 2012 in an effort to keep allowable fat levels lower. The bill would allow fat from milk to not be counted towards the total fat levels allowed in each meal.
Speaking on the House floor in support of the bill, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said it “isn’t about advocating for one type of milk over another, but providing parents, schools and service providers with the option to choose what’s best for our children’s nutrition.”
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., entered into the record 15 academic studies from researchers around the world that show that full fat dairy foods have little to no association with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or obesity. “Several of these studies show full fat milk helps improve or lower negative health outcomes for children,” Thompson said.
Ahead of the vote, International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes said it’s important for children to have access to choices. “We know that the majority of the milk sold – 75% of all retail sales – are whole and 2% milk.”
Three amendments were each approved by a voice vote.
An amendment from Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., prevents USDA from issuing any rule that bans varieties of milk. Currently, USDA has proposed one option to limit availability of flavored milk to high school students, and elementary and middle schools would no longer have access to flavored milk. Another option would continue to allow flavored and unflavored milks for all grades with only fat-free and low-fat milk varieties.
“USDA has its sights on getting rid of chocolate milk in schools,” Tiffany said.
USDA’s proposed rule would impact 30 million students who participate in the school lunch program. A recent study found removing flavored milk for kindergarten through fifth grade would result in a 62-63% reduction in milk consumption and a 50% reduction for 6-8th grade students, Tiffany said.
USDA's proposal for milk would be limit added sugars to no more than 10 grams per 8 fluid ounces or, for flavored milk sold as a competitive food for middle and high schools, 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces. Dykes also noted that as a dairy industry, 37 processors supplying the vast majority of school milk have made a commitment that flavored milk would contain a maximum of 10 grams of added sugar. Today, the average is 8.2 grams, showing the industry is already ahead of its commitment, Dykes said.
Cut through the clutter! We deliver the news you need to stay informed about farm, food and rural issues. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse here.
The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity – including the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and National WIC Association – urged House members ahead of the vote to oppose the bill because it does not align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The letter says USDA’s proposed rule attempts to more closely align school nutrition standards with the 2020-2025 DGAs.
“Singling out milk – in this case, whole and reduced-fat milk – to be exempt from the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines is a slippery slope for allowing special interests to carve out exemptions in school meal program rules,” the letter says.
An amendment that allows whole milk to be organic or non-organic introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., passed by a voice vote.
Another amendment from Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., prohibits schools participating in the school lunch program from purchasing or offering milk produced by China state-owned enterprises.
Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, said House passage is a critical step and urged the Senate to consider the bill immediately.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Agri-Pulse he doesn’t anticipate the Senate companion bill to get a standalone vote, but is more likely to be included in the farm bill or as part of an omnibus spending bill.
For more news, visit www.Agri-Pulse.com.
