Whole Milk is Back

On December 15, Congress passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which gives schools the option to serve whole milk again and stipulates that milk fat cannot be considered saturated far for the purposes of measuring compliance with meal pattern requirements. The bill codifies the many milk options that schools can serve (flavored and unflavored organic or nonorganic whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free fluid milk and lactose-free fluid milk), removing the ability for USDA to make changes in future school nutrition regulations.

Additionally, students “whose disability restricts their diet” can now request a milk substitute with a written statement from a parent or legal guardian. Previously, the law required a written statement from a physician.

AASA did not take a position on the bill.