Local and national dairy checkoff is committed to keeping milk in schools. Find out how ADA North East and National Dairy Council are addressing the proposed revisions to the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a proposed rule to review the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to be consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Proposed Changes Relating to Dairy Products Include:

  • Flavored milk: Potentially limiting flavored milk options to certain grade levels and limiting added sugars across all flavored milk options
  • Yogurt: Limiting added sugars
  • Added sugar: Limiting added sugars in certain products (including yogurt and flavored milk) first and, later, across the weekly menu
  • Sodium: Incrementally reducing weekly sodium limits in breakfast and lunch (which may impact the frequency of offering cheese and flavored milk)

USDA is accepting comments on the proposed guidance for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program through April 10, 2023.

What Checkoff and Industry Partners are Doing:

  • National Dairy Council has shared science-backed messaging and comments with industry partners, who will engage with the public throughout the comment period in the capacity they are able to.
  • ADA North East created and distributed a news release on the benefits of dairy to children’s health and dairy’s critical role in school meals to media outlets throughout the region. The release was also posted on AmericanDairy.com, and shared on the ADA North East Facebook page. We will also submit paid advertising to push out the messages on social media.
  • Continue to share messaging throughout National Nutrition Month highlighting the importance of school meals with dairy that provide the nutritional benefits that are crucial to child development.

What Can You Do:

Famers can continue to share messaging on the importance of dairy in school meals. You can find additional resources and messaging below.