U.S. Department of Agriculture May Ban Flavored Milk in School Cafeterias

(KNSI) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture could be moving to ban flavored milk from school cafeterias.

The agency aims to “reduce exposure to added sugars and promote more nutrient-dense unflavored milk.”

The USDA just closed the public comment period on long-term school nutrition standards changes to reduce added sugars in school breakfast and lunch programs. The rules are expected to be finalized for the 2024/2025 school year. The plan now suggests limiting the availability of chocolate and strawberry milk in high schools and banning it completely in elementary and middle schools.

St. Cloud Area School District 742’s Nutrition Services website says its school food menu “provides a variety of choices that accommodate the wide range of students’ tastes, as well as gives students the opportunity to try and enjoy new foods. Lunches at the middle and high schools include a main entree, choice of fruit, vegetable, bread, and milk selection.”

According to the St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids-Rice School District and Sartell St. Stephen School District’s Nutrislice websites, which lists daily menus and nutrition facts, they all offer a milk selection to students, including chocolate, skim and 1%.

Evan Robertson is a school food service director and says we consume too much sugar and sodium, but what kids eat still needs to be enjoyable because, “frankly, my view, and I know some views from the dairy councils, have been too, if it’s at least chocolate milk, it’s better than no milk at all.”

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