After a 13-Year Ban, Congress Looks to Open Up Schools to Milk Options and Alternatives

To get their whole milk and 2 percent products back into the nation’s schools, dairy farmers may have to accept some competition from non-dairy alternatives.

According to the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition, under current law, students are only guaranteed a substitute for cow’s milk, such as fortified soy milk, if a parent submits a physician’s note documenting a disability. Schools are currently prohibited from proactively offering soy milk on the lunch line. 

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act has gained new traction with an amendment that may open the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs to non-dairy alternatives. The amendment may be a sign of the compromises that are needed in the Make America Healthy Again era, especially where kids are concerned.  

The Act was first approved by the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee on a bipartisan vote of 24-10 in February, and recently the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously advanced the proposal. The bill now awaits passage by the full Senate and the full House of Representatives.

Only skim and low-fat milk are currently served in schools.  Whole and 2 percent milk were banned in 2012.

The measure has gone forward with an amendment to permit school lunch and breakfast programs to add whole, 2 percent, and flavored milks or a non-dairy alternative. The American Farm Bureau has expressed concern about purchasing non-dairy options instead of dairy products.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would allow whole (3.25 percent) and reduced-fat (2 percent) milk to be served again in school cafeterias.

“Today’s strong, bipartisan passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act in the Senate Agriculture Committee demonstrates the widespread support the bill enjoys in Congress, among parents, nutritionists, and school meals professionals. After over a decade of waiting, it’s time to lift the ban on whole and 2 percent milk and give children more nutritious choices in school cafeterias. The International Dairy Foods Association thanks Senate bill cosponsors for their leadership. We urge the full Senate and the House of Representatives to pass the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act,” said Michael Dykes, President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

“The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is about making informed, science-backed decisions that prioritize the health and future of our children,” National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud added. “We’re grateful that this common-sense legislation has received strong support from both sides.”

However, before the coming floor votes, lawmakers may hear from the Farm Bureau, which has concerns about the non-dairy alternatives that might not have the nutritional impact of real milk products.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Friends of the Earth, and other members of the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition support the amended Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (S.222) because:

—It will allow schools to offer a nutritionally equivalent nondairy milk option to all students and require schools to provide a cow’s milk substitute for any student who has a disability, which the USDA considers to include lactose intolerance, based on a parental request.   

—It will make it easier for students to access nondairy milk options in schools. 

—It removes key barriers that have long prevented students, especially those who are lactose intolerant, from receiving a nutritionally appropriate beverage option at school.  

EDITOR’S TAKE:

There does not appear to be a great deal of opposition to this legislation. The only real area of controversy might be allowing non-dairy alternatives into the program. Otherwise, it appears the bill is headed towards bi-partisan passage. Will it dramatically change the overall market for milk – unlikely. Will it cause a shift between milk products – probably. It will be interesting to see the actual impact of this legislation on dairy consumption overall and consumer preferences as the school age children mature and reach adulthood. Dairy processors certainly believe the legislation will provide more choice and will benefit dairy producers.

Dairy farmers in your area are doing quite well even without passage of this legislation. Be sure to put them on the top of your customer prospect list, especially if you are promoting the new AGwagon. AGwagon was designed by farmers/ranchers for farmers/ranchers.