School-meals program banned whole and 2% milk in 2012; bill approved by House panel would bring them back

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What kind of milk U.S. public schools serve their students can be controversial, and the issue is back with a new player. "A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing to bring a banned substance back to schools: whole milk," reports Kristina Peterson of The Wall Street Journal. "A bill approved Tuesday by the House Education and Workforce Committee in a 26-13 vote would allow schools to offer whole and 2% milk. Supporters, including the dairy industry and more than 100 lawmakers, say that children are more likely to drink milk when it tastes better to them. . . . Opponents say children can get the same nutrients from lower-fat milk while keeping saturated fat in check."

Since 2012, schools participating in the Department of Agriculture's school meals program "haven't been permitted to serve either whole milk—which has 3.25% milk fat—or 2% milk," Peterson writes. "[The restrictions were] intended to align school offerings with the country's dietary guidelines. . . . Those recommendations advise that children over the age of two should consume either nonfat or 1% milk as part of an effort to limit how much saturated fat they consume." Erin Hennessy, a child-nutrition researcher at Tufts University, told Peterson, "For a long time, we lumped all saturated fats together. The story is more complicated than that. . . . People are becoming a little bit more open to the idea of whole milk."

Wall Street Journal Chart, from USDA data

The dairy industry has a vested interest in milk consumption by students. "The push to offer whole milk in schools is part of an effort to ensure that students grow into milk-drinking adults," Peterson reports. "Whole and 2% milk are the most commonly sold varieties, according to the USDA, so students are most used to their taste at home, according to dairy industry officials. . . . Opponents of the milk legislation said lawmakers shouldn't be meddling with the recommendations crafted by nutrition officials. . . . Rep. Kim Schrier (D) of Washington, a pediatrician, said offering additional milk choices is likely to encourage children to choose milk over another, less healthy beverage." Schrier, a co-sponsor of the bill, told Peterson, “I would much rather have children drinking milk, even whole milk, than juice."

Research on dairy's saturated fat is ongoing. "Much of the debate around whole milk centers on the question of whether fat from dairy products is different from saturated fat coming from other foods," Peterson reports. "Some researchers have conducted studies showing that full-fat dairy products haven't led to a higher risk of weight gain in children and may help them feel full more quickly. . . . Some groups, including the nutrition arm of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said there isn't enough evidence yet to overturn the official guidelines."