What does USDA’s new nutrition rule mean for school meals?

“One of the most significant aspects of the rule is the establishment of limits on added sugars in school meals — the first limit of its kind, based on newer research about added sugar’s contribution to poor health outcomes like Type 2 diabetes as well as negative school behaviors and lower test scores. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, breakfast cereals, yogurt and flavored milk will be subject to strict added sugar limits, meaning many manufacturers will have to make changes to products that are presently sold to schools. By the 2027-28 school year, cafeterias will be required to limit added sugars to fewer than 10 percent of calories across the week.

An interesting counterpoint on the inclusion of added sugars in the new rule came from a trade group, the Sugar Association, during deliberations about the rule. The group supported limits on added sugars but called applying limits to individual products like flavored dairy products “arbitrary,” cautioning that the new standards could inadvertently lead to increased use of artificial sweeteners. These additives are not addressed in the new rule but have their own health ramifications, highlighting a potentially significant oversight by the USDA.

Despite many public health and nutrition advocates’ desire to eliminate flavored milk from school-provided meals, the USDA will continue to offer flavored fat-free and low-fat milk to students. However, as stated earlier, the new rule will introduce a limit on added sugar in flavored milk.”

Read the full article here: https://foodprint.org/blog/what-does-usdas-new-nutrition-rule-mean-for-school-meals/