IDFA Celebrates Final Passage of Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, Clearing the Way for Whole and 2% Milk to Return to Schools

IDFA Celebrates Final Passage of Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, Clearing the Way for Whole and 2% Milk to Return to Schools

WASHINGTON, December 15, 2025-The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 by voice vote, delivering final congressional approval for legislation that will restore whole and 2% milk to America's school cafeterias for the first time in more than a decade. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Trump, which will cap a historic, years-long effort by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), dairy food companies, dairy farmers, partners, school nutrition leaders, physicians and nutritionists, and parents across the country to restore access to the nutritious milk options children overwhelmingly prefer.

"The long wait is over! Whole milk is coming back to schools!" said Michael Dykes, president and CEO of IDFA. "Today's House passage marks a defining victory for children's health and for the dairy community that has fought for more than a decade to restore whole and 2% milk for our nation's students. We ask for the President to sign the bill into law so the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can begin working with state governments and school districts across the country to make this law a reality. Our nation's dairy farmers and processors are ready to work alongside USDA to restore whole milk to every American school."

"Whole and 2% milk are wholesome, nutritious options that kids love. They provide milk's 13 essential nutrients for growth, development, healthy immune function, and overall wellness. In fact, full-fat dairy foods such as whole milk are tied to a number of health benefits, including less weight gain, neutral or lower risk of heart disease, and lower childhood obesity. "

"IDFA is deeply grateful to U.S. Reps. Glenn 'GT' Thompson and Kim Schrier, and U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall and Peter Welch for sponsoring and leading the charge to pass the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. We look forward to President Trump signing this important legislation into law and to partnering with USDA to ensure school nutrition directors have the information and resources needed to incorporate whole and 2% milk in their nutrition planning in the coming school years."

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act requires schools to provide students with a variety of fluid milk options, which can now include flavored and unflavored organic or conventional whole, 2%, 1%, skim and lactose-free milk. The bill exempts milk fat from consideration of schools' allowable saturated fat content requirements per meal, which will help school nutrition directors include whole and 2% milk options in their meal planning. It also allows parents to request that schools provide a lactose-free milk or nutritionally equivalent non-dairy option for their child.

"This bill makes it easier for schools and parents to offer the nutritious milk options that children prefer and consume at home, whether those be whole fat, lower fat, or lactose-free," said Dykes. "IDFA encourages school nutrition directors to plan to incorporate these options into their offerings for students as early as next school year."

IDFA members, dairy industry partners, school nutrition professionals, parents, and health experts have stood shoulder to shoulder for years in championing this commonsense fix. Recent national polling by Morning Consult, commissioned by IDFA, shows 91% of parents serve their children whole or 2% milk at home, and 81% of them support Congress passing legislation to reinstate these options in school meals. More than 70% of total milk sales at grocery stores are whole and 2% milk, with parents overwhelmingly preferring these options.

Since whole and 2% milk were banned from school meal menus more than a decade ago, school milk consumption and meal participation have declined, meaning children are consuming fewer essential nutrients. This is especially concerning considering underconsumption of milk and dairy products is prevalent among school-aged children, where between 68% and 94% of school-age boys and girls are failing to meet recommended levels of dairy intake per federal guidelines.

Nutrition science has evolved in the past decade to show neutral or positive benefits of full-fat dairy foods such as whole milk, including less weight gain, neutral or lower risk of heart disease, and lower childhood obesity. Learn more about the importance of milk-especially whole and 2% milk-in the diets of healthy children at www.wholemilkforkids.com.

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $198 billion in direct wages and $779 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA's diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.