U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) applauded the Dec. 6 announcement that a final rule will be released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that puts low-fat flavored milk back on the national school meals program menus for America’s low-income students.
The final rule implementing regulatory changes will be published on Dec. 12 in the Federal Register, according to the USDA.
“This commonsense rule will allow schools more options while providing nutritious varieties of milk,” said Rep. Thompson, who is vice chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and chairman of its Nutrition Subcommittee.
Specifically, the USDA’s final rule will codify, with some extensions, two other menu planning flexibilities temporarily established by the interim final rule of the same title published on Nov. 30, 2017, according to the USDA.
In addition to permanently broadening the milk options in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Special Milk Program for Children, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program for participants ages 6 and older, the final rule will require that half of the weekly grains in the school lunch and breakfast menu be whole grain-rich, and provide schools in those programs to have more time to gradually reduce sodium restrictions, according to the USDA.
“By codifying these changes, USDA acknowledges the persistent menu planning challenges experienced by some schools, and affirms its commitment to give schools more control over food service decisions and greater ability to offer wholesome and appealing meals that reflect local preferences,” the agency said in a statement released last week.
“If schools have more options, students are going to drink more milk, which was once a staple in the diet of our student populations,” said Rep. Thompson. “I applaud Agriculture Secretary Perdue for taking this important action to ensure students are receiving meals that are both nutritious and satisfying.”
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the final rule’s “flexibilities provide excellent customer service to our local school nutrition professionals, while giving children the world-class food service they deserve.”
Congressman Thompson said that milk consumption in schools has decreased over the last eight years as a result of the restrictions contained in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which former U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law that year.
Rep. Thompson and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) authored the bipartisan School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017, H.R. 4101, in October 2017 that would allow schools to serve low-fat and fat-free milk, including low-fat flavored milk containing no more than 150 calories per 8-ounce serving, among other provisions, according to the summary in the congressional record.
H.R. 4101 has 39 cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Sean Duffy (R-WI), David Valadao (R-CA), Mike Bishop (R-MI), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Rodney Davis (R-IL), John Katko (R-NY), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Tom Rooney (R-FL), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), and Tom Marino (R-PA).