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Several dairy groups support the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2019.

February 15, 2019

3 Min Read
milk pouring from pitcher into glass
MORE OPTIONS: Adding whole milk to school meals reflects research showing that such products benefit children and give school administrators one more tool to develop healthy eating habits. naturalbox/Getty Images

With the number of beverage options available and the lack of knowledge that milk is a nutritious as well as delicious choice for students, it’s no surprise that milk consumption has been declining throughout the nation. But thanks to bipartisan legislation sponsored by Reps. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Glen Thompson, R-Pa., that may be about to change. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Thompson are co-sponsoring the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2019.

Legislation introduced
The act, H.R. 832, has eight other co-sponsors, including Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, ranking Republican on the House Agriculture Committee.

Adding whole milk to school menus reflects research showing that such products benefit children and give school administrators one more tool to develop healthy eating habits.

“Milk is the No. 1 source of nine essential nutrients in the diets of our students, but if they don’t drink it, these health benefits are lost,” Thompson said in a press release. “Milk consumption has been declining in schools throughout the nation because kids are not consuming the varieties of milk being made available to them. It is my hope that the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will bring a wider range of milk options to American lunchrooms, so students can choose the kind they love best.”

Peterson echoed Thompson’s comments. “I’m proud to join Congressman Thompson in this effort that will provide more choices for nutritious and healthy milk to kids in schools, and a valuable market for dairy farmers in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and nationwide at a time when they’re continuing to face extremely difficult market conditions,” he said.

We couldn’t agree more.

Support for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2019 is growing among farm groups. The National Milk Producers Federation says it welcomes the legislation.

“Whole milk provides yet another way for children to receive dairy’s nutritional benefits as part of a healthy eating pattern,” says Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “This bill encourages the proper nutrition they need to lead healthy lives.”

The International Dairy Foods Association also supports the legislation.

“We thank Rep. Thompson for his leadership and Chairman Peterson for being an original co-sponsor on this bill to allow schools more flexibility to offer the same types of milk that children and teens enjoy at home. Providing expanded milk options will help ensure that students get the nutrients that milk uniquely provides, including calcium, vitamin D and potassium,” says Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of IDFA.

The American Dairy Coalition also applauds Peterson’s and Thompson’s introduction of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.  

“The American Dairy Coalition hopes the reintroduction of more varieties of milk to school lunch programs will not only provide a key source of nutrition for children across the nation, but also develop a new generation of milk drinkers in an age when fluid consumption of milk is in decline,” says Laurie Fischer, CEO of ADC. “In the past decade, fluid milk sales have fallen about 13%, and the price of milk has dropped nearly 40% over the last four years. Without access to additional markets for their product, dairy farmers are going out of business at an alarming rate.  

“Providing additional markets for dairy producers is key to preserving and protecting an industry that consistently provides consumers with the highest-quality dairy products available at an affordable price.”

You can make a difference and help get this bill passed. Call your legislator in Washington, D.C., and ask him or her to support H.R. 832, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2019. 

Comments? Email [email protected].

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