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FACT BRIEF

Does the federal government prohibit whole milk from being served in schools?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

Schools must offer fat-free and/or low-fat (1%) unflavored milk as part of school breakfasts and lunches, and have the option to offer flavored versions of those beverages, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

USDA regulations in 2012 prohibited whole milk from being served in the programs.

The regulations were to “enhance the diet and health of school children, and help mitigate the childhood obesity trend.”

The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 13, 2023, approved a bill that would allow schools to serve whole, reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk.

There appears to be little consensus among health experts on the health risks of whole milk, KFF Health News reported.

Wisconsin is the second-largest milk-producing state, behind California.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Department of Agriculture Milk
NMPF USDA Releases Final Nutrition Standards for School Meals
federalregister.gov Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs
Abigail Spanberger U.S. House Passes Spanberger-Backed Bill to Allow Whole Milk in School Cafeterias
US Congress H.R.1147 - Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023
KFF Health News Got Milk in School? Farmers Fight Health Advocates Over the Creamy ‘Whole’ Variety
World Population Review Milk Production by State 2023
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.