WASHINGTON, D.C. — Children disappointed with the dairy options provided at school may soon see more variety.
That’s because whole and 2% milk could be “moo-ving” back into the cafeteria.
Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., is celebrating a unanimous Senate vote in favor of his Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act — a bill that aims to bring whole and reduced-fat milk options back to school cafeterias nationwide.
For several years, those milk options have been left out of cafeterias. Thompson says it deprived an entire generation of kids of the 13 essential nutrients that help them grow, focus and thrive.
His bill gives schools more flexibility to offer whole and reduced-fat milk — something supporters say will boost nutrition, boost flavor and boost the odds that kids actually drink their milk instead of tossing it.
Support for the bill from milk producers and the dairy industry has been strong. If signed into law, Thompson says it would be a major win for dairy farmers across the country.
“It’s also good for dairy farming. Number one industry, number one commodity in Pennsylvania for agriculture, which is our number one industry,” said Thompson. “For 15 years, dairy has been in decline and rural communities have suffered. We’ve lost population as a result of this.”
Recent changes to the bill have also led to support from plant-based food groups.
“The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the Plant Based Foods Institute (PBFI) celebrate the U.S. Senate unanimously passing legislation to expand access to plant-based milks in the National School Lunch Program. This exciting step forward, included in the amended Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, gives schools participating in the National School Lunch Program more flexibility to serve plant-based milks that are nutritionally equivalent to dairy milk. The legislation also allows parents and legal guardians, in addition to licensed physicians, to provide a written statement to guarantee that their students receive a non-dairy substitute for cow’s milk at school,” the groups said in a press release.
“We applaud the U.S. Senate for advancing improvements to the National School Lunch Program that will expand students’ access to plant-based milks while also cutting down on taxpayer waste,” said Marjorie Mulhall, senior director of policy at the Plant Based Foods Association. “U.S. plant-based milk producers stand ready to provide schools with delicious offerings that meet students’ nutritional needs.”
