American children could soon see whole milk back on school menus after nearly 15 years after President Donald Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act on Wednesday (January 14). The law allows schools to serve whole milk alongside low-fat and fat-free options.
The legislation is expected to expand milk options for the nearly 30 million children who participate in school meal programs. President Trump hailed the move as a victory for the dairy industry.
“These changes will be a huge victory for the American farmers we love and who voted for me in large numbers,” Trump said at the White House.
The law represents a long-standing priority of the dairy industry that dates back to the Obama administration.
Harmonization of the MAHA agenda
The law is also in line with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) government initiative promoted by Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. MAHA advocates other measures such as restrictions on childhood vaccines and discouragement of artificial food dyes.
“This is exactly the kind of practical change that will make America healthy again,” Kennedy said at the signing.
Abolition of the ten-year limitation
Since 2012, schools have been required to serve only low-fat and fat-free milk under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, a school food reform spearheaded by former first lady Michelle Obama to combat childhood obesity.
Farm and dairy groups argued that the restriction reduced milk consumption and that higher-fat milk did not harm children’s health.
USDA Implementation and Guidelines
Under the new law, schools can serve whole, low-fat and low-fat milk. According to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, implementation should take several weeks.
School meals must still meet USDA nutrition standards to qualify for federal reimbursement. Last week, the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services released updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans that now encourage the consumption of full-fat dairy products, marking a big shift from decades of low-fat guidelines.
