Federal regulators are contemplating taking chocolate milk off faculty lunch plans.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is weighing whether or not to take away flavored milk — which additionally contains strawberry and different varieties — in its faculty meals pointers for elementary and center faculties, in keeping with media stories.

The company has dedicated to new requirements that may require flavored milk to have much less added sugar.

Concerns about childhood weight problems are driving the USDA’s curiosity in eradicating the tasty milk.

Roughly one in six kids from ages 10-17 had been chubby in 2020-21, in keeping with the National Survey of Children’s Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies weight problems as having a physique mass index over 30.

However, some faculty directors warning that eradicating flavored milk will forestall children from getting very important vitamins of their eating regimen.

Jessica Gould, the director of diet providers for Littleton Public Schools in Colorado, stated her faculty district’s consumption of milk “significantly decreased” when it skilled issues procuring chocolate milk throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Do we want kids to get the calcium, the protein, the additional nutrients that are part of milk?” Ms. Gould advised The Wall Street Journal. “Because when we were only providing white milk, we did see a significant amount of students didn’t take milk in general.”

Once finalized, the USDA’s new pointers will likely be phased in over a seven-year interval starting within the 2024-25 faculty 12 months. The company will decide the way it desires to deal with flavored milks in early 2024.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com