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Farm Bureau concerned about potential Whole Milk amendment

A proposed amendment to the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is being watched closely by American Farm Bureau Federation. 

Farm Bureau’s economist Danny Munch tells Brownfield the proposed amendment would allow school lunch and breakfast programs to add whole, 2%, and flavored milks OR a non-dairy alternative.  Munch says the word OR is very concerning. “We have concerns about the ‘or.’ We’re fine with them saying ‘and’ non-dairy beverage alternatives being offered but we don’t want non-dairy alternatives being served in place of milk in schools because we’re concerned about any sort of nutrition impacts that would have on young students who might not get those nutrients supported by milk.”

The Senate Ag Committee is considering the bill during a hearing today, June 3rd.

UPDATE: The Senate Ag Committee needed less than five minutes to amend and pass the bill out of committee. The amended bill has support from American Farm Bureau Federation, National Milk Producers Federation, and the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition, which includes Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Friends of the Earth.

Danny Munch from American Farm Bureau Federation confirms the amended bill uses “and” giving non-dairy as an option, and not a replacement for dairy milk. The bill also requires non-dairy alternatives to meet the nutritional equivalency of dairy milk under current law.