
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking to reduce salt and sugar intake in school lunches nationwide. As part of the proposed updates to school nutrition standards, flavored milk, including chocolate milk, would be limited to high school students.
An alternative suggestion is to allow flavored milk for all grade levels but would restrict the level of added sugars. The current standards permit fat-free or low-fat flavored milk as an option for all students.
Critics of the plan say it is unnecessary and would harm U.S. dairy farmers. The proposal is still in the feedback stages and wouldn’t go into effect until the 2024-25 school year.