Senate panel backs return of whole milk in school lunches

Federal legislation (SB 222) introduced by Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) would allow schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program to serve whole and 2 percent milk. According to a statement from the National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry supported this legislation via voice vote Tuesday afternoon.

For over a decade, the program has been limited to offering only 1 percent and fat-free options, despite the fact that whole and reduced-fat milk remain the most popular varieties in American households.

“The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is about making informed, science-backed decisions that prioritize the health and future of our children,” NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said. “We’re grateful that this common-sense legislation has received such strong support from both sides of the aisle. We commend Senators Marshall and Welch for authoring this bill in the Senate and advocating passionately for its passage, as well as Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar for their bipartisan leadership in moving the bill through committee. Passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will allow more schoolkids to access essential nutrients in their diets, and that’s something everyone can get behind.”

The effort focuses on highlighting the known health benefits and nutrients milk provides to young Americans, including better bone health, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes. According to the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, milk is a source of two under-consumed nutrients — calcium and vitamin D — along with other key nutrients.

Most importantly, in order for students to benefit from the nutritional content of milk, they must actually consume the milk, which experts believe is more likely to occur with varieties and options. The fat in whole and 2 percent milk is vital to being able to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and the 13 essential nutrients in milk itself.

A companion bill in the House (H.R. 649), introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-Pa.) and Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), was approved by the House Education and the Workforce Committee earlier this year and awaits a floor vote. Although the House passed a similar bill in 2023, it stalled before reaching the Senate.

With both houses now poised to consider on the floor, dairy interests are urging action. The NMPF has launched a call to action on its website, urging supporters to weigh in for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and get the bill across the finish line.