In a significant move towards improving the nutritional quality of school meals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced new standards that, for the first time, will limit the amount of added sugars in the meals served to millions of students nationwide.
The updated rules, which also include a reduction in sodium content, are part of an effort to align school meals with U.S. dietary guidelines. The program, costing approximately $22.6 billion annually, provides breakfast to over 15 million students and lunch to nearly 30 million students each day.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that the changes are aimed at ensuring students receive quality meals that meet parents' expectations. "All of this is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectations," Vilsack said.
Starting from the 2025-2026 school year, high-sugar foods such as cereal, yogurt, and flavored milk will be subject to the new sugar limits. By fall 2027, added sugars in school meals will be restricted to no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfasts and lunches, in addition to limits on sugar in specific products.
The USDA had initially proposed a 30% reduction in sodium content in school meals over the next few years. However, following mixed public feedback and a directive from Congress included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill approved in March, the agency will now reduce sodium levels in breakfasts by 10% and in lunches by 15% by the 2027-2028 school year.
The new rules continue to allow flavored milks with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids. This decision reflects the USDA's commitment to balancing nutritional improvements with the palatability of meals for students.
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