USDA advances its industry carveout agenda

Through the promotion of full-fat dairy in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, this administration has made clear its willingness to prioritize dairy industry interests in federal child nutrition policy. On Friday, May 8, the US Department of Agriculture took that agenda a step further by publishing a final rule that expands the availability of whole milk across other child nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

USDA's press release touts that the rule implements the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, but the regulation notably omits the bill's expansion of access to nondairy milk options - a key provision that helped earn broad support from advocates representing students with allergies and those with dietary or religious preferences. The rule does, however, codify the Act's carveout exempting milk from the science-based saturated fat limits that apply to school meals.

Industry-specific exemptions set a precedent for other industries to follow - all at the expense of children's health. We urge USDA to focus its energy on protecting access to school meals and all nutrition programs - not giving passes from evidence-based nutrition standards to special interests.

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Tags

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• USDA
• School Foods
• Milk
• Trump

Topics

• Government Accountability
• Healthy Kids