HARRISBURG, PA — Whole and flavored milk could soon return to school cafeterias nationwide after Congress approved the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a move hailed by Pennsylvania lawmakers as a boost for student nutrition and the state’s struggling dairy industry.
State Reps. Clint Owlett, a Republican from Tioga and Bradford counties, and John Lawrence, a Republican from Chester County, praised the bill’s passage, calling it a long-overdue reversal of federal nutrition standards that sidelined milk options many students preferred.
After years of declining milk consumption in schools, the lawmakers said the change gives students access to drinks that provide 13 essential nutrients linked to health and academic performance. They argued those benefits were diminished when whole and flavored milks were removed from school meals more than a decade ago.
Owlett said studies show student milk consumption dropped by about 35% after the Obama administration restricted milk choices in federally reimbursed school meals, a period that also coincided with the loss of thousands of dairy farms nationwide. He said the trends are closely connected and that restoring options is a step toward reversing both.
Lawrence described the bill as the culmination of years of effort to give schools more flexibility and students better choices, crediting U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, the bill’s prime sponsor in the House, for building bipartisan support.
At the state level, Owlett and Lawrence have sponsored legislation for three consecutive sessions aimed at allowing Pennsylvania schools to serve Pennsylvania-produced milk. They said a federal standard is preferable, ensuring equal access for students across the country.
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act allows schools to offer whole, 2%, 1%, or skim milk, flavored or plain, as part of reimbursable breakfast and lunch meals. The bill exempts milkfat from saturated-fat limits and bars sourcing milk from Chinese state-owned enterprises. Participation by schools is optional, not mandatory.
Milk advocates point to research linking dairy consumption to bone health, muscle growth and repair, immune support, cognitive development, and energy metabolism.
The president is expected to sign the bill into law, having publicly identified it as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, clearing the way for whole milk’s return to lunch trays as early as the next school year.
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