“USDA has finalized its rule on school meal standards to include added sugar reductions that were proposed last year, but less severe cuts on sodium. The final rule includes cuts to added sugars that will start in fall 2025 and be fully implemented in 2027. As initially listed in the proposed standards, added sugars will be limited to 10% of each week’s school meals menu as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
While schools can continue to offer flavored and unflavored milk, the new standards include a limit on added sugars in flavored milk served at breakfast and lunch by fall 2025. Thirty-seven school milk processors, which make up over 90% of the school milk nationwide, have already committed to providing options that meet the limit on added sugar.
The Sugar Association supported the reduction of added sugars but cautioned against imposing added sugar limits on individual products like flavored milk that provide nutrients. Cutting out added sugar could also lead to an increase in artificial sweeteners, which are not disclosed in school meals, the group wrote in a statement. “School meals standards should not be another catalyst for even greater substitution of low- and no-calorie sweeteners in foods for children, for whom intake is not encouraged,” said Courtney Gaine, Sugar Association president and CEO.”
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/21001-new-school-meal-standards-cut-added-sugars-sodium
October 29, 2025
“Food and agriculture groups say the Trump administration’s attempt to define “ultraprocessed” foods and reduce their consumption isn’t justified by the science and could sweep up healthful foods like yogurt and whole grain foods. In formal comments filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the groups note there’s a lack of scientific consensus on […]
October 15, 2025
“The Sugar Association is recognizing National Real Sugar Day (October 15) by spotlighting the origins and functions of real sugar in food production. Established in 2022, the annual observance highlights the agricultural roots of sugar cane and sugar beets grown across the U.S., and the ingredient’s role in supporting local economies and food manufacturing. “We […]
August 11, 2025
“International Confectionery magazine is proud to announce that Courtney Gaine, Ph.D., R.D., President and CEO of the Sugar Association (Washington, D.C.), has been appointed as a judge for the International Confectionery Awards, one of the industry’s most respected celebrations of excellence and innovation in confectionery. Dr. Gaine has led the Sugar Association since January 2016, […]
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