Georgia Milk Producers Share Reaction To Whole Milk For Healthy Kids Act Rule

Earlier this week we shared that USDA had released the final rule for the Whole Milk For Healthy Kids implementation and we caught up with Bryce Trotter with the Georgia Milk Producers to learn their reaction.

“Our dairy producers are excited to see this next step in bringing whole milk or 2% milk back to our schools. The rule issued by USDA last week follows up on two things that happened last year and earlier this year, the dietary guidelines for Americans was amended to allow for to recommend full fat dairy for children and early in the middle childhood, which opened the door for bringing whole milk back to schools,” said Trotter.

“And then the whole milk for healthy kids act was signed by President Trump in January, I believe, and that officially reversed course on a rule USDA had instituted that kept whole milk and 2% milk out of schools. It only allowed schools to serve 1% or skim and a lot of us in the industry believe that contributed to the decline in fluid milk consumption among our students and school aged children,” said Trotter. 

“So this rule from USDA’s food and nutrition service updates the regulations of the school lunch, school breakfast, after school snack programs to comply with the law with the whole milk for healthy kids act and also updates a few other major USDA feeding programs that are important for delivering or granting access to whole milk for healthy kids additional dairy products for participants. So the rule explicitly states that school nutrition coordinators have the flexibility to choose what types of milk they serve in the cafeteria. All the rule does is give them permission to serve whole or 2% milk,” said Trotter.

“It doesn’t mandate them to do that. It doesn’t require schools to serve it. So we tell people if you want your child’s cafeteria to start serving whole milk or 2% milk, you still need to be sure to contact the school and tell them that your student wants whole milk,” said Trotter.

Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.