Senate votes to return whole milk to schools despite evidence on saturated fat

Yesterday, S.222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation the Center for Science in the Public Interest has long opposed, passed the Senate. The next step for its passage will be a final vote in the House of Representatives. 

The science is clear: dietary saturated fat raises heart disease risk, the leading cause of death in the US. Despite this, S.222/H.R.649 allows full fat (whole) and reduced fat (2%) milk to be served in schools and exempts milk’s saturated fat content from counting towards the weekly, science-based saturated fat limits school meals must follow, leaving even more room for excess saturated fat in children’s diets. This is the exact opposite of what is needed to improve child health outcomes. This bill is a clear handout to the dairy industry at the expense of our children’s health. 

Seventy-five to 85 percent of children consume too much saturated fat. Allowing full-fat milk in schools and curtailing current limits would only worsen this problem, contradicting the current administration’s stated focus on improving children's health. 

The Act was amended to also allow a “nutritionally equivalent” nondairy beverage to be more readily available in school cafeterias. CSPI is supportive of improving access to nondairy milk alternatives.  

The grim irony of Congress passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is that it follows the passage of H.R. 1, (the Big Beautiful Bill Act) which will reduce access to nutrition assistance for children, and contributed to an unprecedented pause in SNAP benefits during the longest-ever government shutdown.  

School meals are the most nutritious source of food kids have access to. We urge Congress to focus their energy on protecting access to school meals and other child nutrition programs—not rolling back evidence-based nutrition standards designed to protect kids’ health.  

We strongly urge the House of Representatives to vote No on H.R.649, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.