The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that flavored milk, such as chocolate and strawberry, will continue to be served in elementary school cafeterias, despite initial plans to ban it. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized the importance of school meals, noting that they provide crucial nutrition for many children. The updates to school meal program requirements, set to take effect in the 2025 school year, received over 136,000 comments from the public. Public health experts praised the proposed limits on added sugars and reductions in sodium, but some groups expressed concerns about meeting the new guidelines due to supply chain challenges.
The School Nutrition Association raised concerns about the capacity of school meal programs to meet the proposed nutrition mandates, particularly in light of ongoing supply chain and labor issues. USDA officials assured that school districts making good-faith efforts to comply with the new guidelines would not face financial penalties for falling short. Department officials also emphasized that the cost associated with the changes was minimal compared to the overall size of the program. Vilsack expressed confidence in the industry’s ability to provide products that meet the new standards, despite potential challenges.
The USDA had initially proposed limiting flavored milk due to its high added sugar content, but after collaborating with the dairy industry, milk processors committed to reformulating their products to meet new limits. Some health experts and industry representatives warned that the restrictions on flavored milk could lead to decreased milk consumption among students. Vilsack acknowledged that flavored milk is a popular choice among students and suggested that some school districts may opt not to serve it in order to adhere to stricter federal limits on added sugars in meals.
The final rule on school meal program requirements falls short of the more ambitious sodium reduction targets proposed by the USDA, with schools now only required to make slight reductions by Fall 2027. Congress played a role in shaping the final changes, passing a clause during the budget process that limited the reductions in sodium levels. The adjustments represent a compromise between health goals and practical considerations for schools and industry. Vilsack acknowledged the congressional directive and highlighted that the changes would still move schools in the right direction in terms of sodium reduction.
