The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The final rule also trims sodium in kids’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it continues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids.
Quick Read
- New Nutrition Standards for School Meals: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has introduced new nutrition rules that for the first time limit added sugars in school meals.
- Sodium Reduction Adjusted: While initial proposals aimed for a 30% reduction in sodium, the final rule sets a reduction of 10% for breakfasts and 15% for lunches by the 2027-2028 school year, following mixed feedback and congressional directives.
- Flavored Milk Remains: The new standards will continue to allow flavored milks, such as chocolate milk, with reduced sugar content, rather than restricting younger students to unflavored milk only.
- Phased Implementation: The restrictions on added sugars will begin in the 2025-2026 school year, targeting high-sugar items like cereals, yogurts, and flavored milks. By 2027, added sugars will be capped at no more than 10% of total calories per week for both breakfasts and lunches.
- Aim to Improve Nutrition: These changes are intended to enhance the nutritional quality of school meals and align them more closely with U.S. dietary guidelines. The program serves breakfast to over 15 million students and lunch to nearly 30 million daily, costing about $22.6 billion annually.
- USDA’s Commitment: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized that the updated standards are designed to meet parents’ expectations and ensure high-quality meals for students.
The Associated Press has the story:
USDA updates rules for school meals that limit added sugars for the first time
Newslooks- (AP)
The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.
The final rule also trims sodium in kids’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it continues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids.
The aim is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students and lunches to nearly 30 million students every day at a cost of about $22.6 billion per year.
“All of this is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectations,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters.
The limits on added sugars would be required in the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods such as cereal, yogurt and flavored milk. By the fall of 2027, added sugars in school meals would be limited to no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfasts and lunches, in addition to limites on sugar in specific products.
Officials had proposed to reduce sodium in school meals by as much as 30% over the next several years. But after receiving mixed public comments and a directive from Congress included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill approved in March, the agency will reduce sodium levels allowed in breakfasts by 10% and in lunches by 15% by the 2027-2028 school year.
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