President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill allowing whole milk to be served in schools.
"This is the first bill signing of the new year, and it will ensure that millions of school aged children have access to high quality milk as we make America healthy again," Trump said at a signing ceremony for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which cleared Congress in December.
The bill lets schools serve flavored and unflavored reduced-fat (2%) and whole milk. Those varieties are prohibited under a 2010 law that mandates flavored milk be fat-free and traditional milk be 1% fat at most.
Schools also would be allowed to offer dairy-free milk alternatives such as soy, oat and almond. Kids also could get non-dairy beverages if they are lactose-intolerant.
Some lawmakers, including Sen. Ag Committee Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., and House Ag Committee Chair Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., were present at the signing. Thompson said he's been working on the bill for 15 years and criticized past rules limiting whole milk in schools.
"We lost a generation, probably two generations, of milk drinkers, and it devastated those rural communities," Thompson said at the ceremony. "Well, that day ends today with your signature."
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In a statement, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud said, "Dairy farmers and their cooperatives couldn’t be more thrilled that whole and 2% milk is returning to school meals. Dairy is a nutrition powerhouse that should be used to its fullest potential — and that means making it available in the same varieties families consume at home."
Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, said in a statement, “The long wait is over! Whole milk is coming back to schools! This law is a win for our children, parents, and school nutrition leaders, giving schools the flexibility to offer the flavored and unflavored milk options, across all healthy fat levels, that meet students’ needs and preferences.
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