USDA publishes school meals final rule
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has published the final rule on school meals, which it says increases local flexibility in implementing school nutrition standards for milk, whole grains, and sodium.
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has published the final rule on school meals, which it says increases local flexibility in implementing school nutrition standards for milk, whole grains, and sodium. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the final rule will deliver on the USDA’s promise, made in a May 2017 proclamation, to develop forward-thinking strategies that ensure school nutrition standards are both healthful and practical.
“USDA is committed to serving meals to kids that are both nutritious and satisfying,” said Perdue. “These common-sense flexibilities provide excellent customer service to our local school nutrition professionals, while giving children the world-class foodservice they deserve.”
The Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements final rule offers schools new options as they serve meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and other federal child nutrition programs. The rule provides the option to offer flavored, low-fat milk to children participating in school meal programs and offers schools more time to reduce the sodium levels. It requires that half of the weekly grains in the school lunch and breakfast menu be whole grain-rich.
“This final rule strikes a healthy balance,” said Gay Anderson, president of the School Nutrition Association. “Schools will continue to meet strong nutrition standards but can prepare meals that appeal to a wide range of students.”
“The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) thanks Secretary Perdue for completing this step that will encourage milk consumption in schools,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the NMPF. “USDA’s own studies have shown that students drank less milk after low-fat chocolate milk was removed from schools. Returning low-fat flavored milk to school menus will help reverse this harmful trend. Milk has been an integral part of school meals since their beginning, and greater milk consumption equals better nutrition for America’s kids. The new rule is good news for schools, students, and American dairy farmers.”
However, not all groups were pleased with the final rule. The American Heart Association (AMA) issued the following statement: “USDA’s decision to weaken the standards—despite overwhelming opposition—threatens to reverse our progress toward ensuring our nation’s children receive healthy meals at school that help them attain better long-term health and academic success. If the concern truly was to provide those few schools experiencing challenges with more ‘flexibility,’ the more responsible approach would have been for USDA to provide more technical assistance to these institutions, so they could offer healthier food choices.”