IDFA’s Healthy School Milk Commitment Already Delivering Results for Milk Processors

As children across the country return to school, IDFA is sharing new data demonstrating the growing popularity among parents for maintaining flavored milk options in schools. Between March 2023 and June 2023, Morning Consult polling data shows parents with children in public schools maintained high levels of agreement that non-fat and low-fat flavored milk should remain an option for school meals. In June 2023, nine-in-ten parents with children in public schools (89%) agreed that non-fat and low-fat flavored milk should remain an option, and three-fourths of parents (77%) expressed that low-fat flavored milk is healthy.

As you know, in April, IDFA partnered with 37 school milk processors representing more than 90% of the school milk volume in the United States to launch the Healthy School Milk Commitment. The Commitment is a pledge by dairy companies to provide healthy, nutritious school milk options with no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounce serving by the 2025-26 school year. When the Commitment was announced in April, the average level of added sugar in flavored milk products in schools was 8.2 grams per serving (weighted average). Since that time, processors have begun to reformulate products in anticipation of the 2025 school year and added sugar levels have fallen to 7.5 grams per serving (weighted average) as of July, based on IDFA’s survey of all 37 processors. Moreover, approximately two-thirds of processors participating in the Commitment offer products today that contain 10 grams or less of added sugar per serving. And the remaining one-third are actively working on reformulations that will further reduce added sugars and calories for our schoolchildren in the years ahead.

In fact, since the 2005-06 school year, school milk processors have reduced the average level of added sugars in flavored milks by a whopping 55%, and the average level of calories from 165 to 125 calories per serving—a reduction of nearly 25%.

The proactive work by school milk processors to get ahead of USDA’s proposed standards while continuing to deliver nutritious products that students enjoy has been nothing short of outstanding. It is clear that U.S. milk processors are committed to providing milk’s 13 essential nutrients to America’s students while reducing calories and added sugars in flavored milk. That’s because we all recognize that school meal programs are critically important to child nutrition. For low-income children ages 1-18, 77% of their daily milk intake comes from school meals, delivering high quality protein, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, and health benefits including better bone health and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Recently, IDFA partner Morning Consult shared polling results on flavored milk with a national audience. For your convenience, the Morning Consult infographic and accompanying social media graphics are available here.

• Nearly all parents with children in public schools (90%) believe providing milk to children for public school meals is important for their daily nutritional intake.

• Among parents who say providing milk to children for public school meals is important, seven-in-ten (70%) say it is very important.

• Nine-in-ten parents with children in public schools (89%) agree that non-fat & low-fat flavored milk should remain an option for children in public school meals.

• Three-fourths of parents with children in public schools (77%) express that low-fat flavored milk is healthy.

Get Involved Today! 

If your company is interested in becoming part of the Healthy School Milk Commitment, please contact Matt Herrick of IDFA at mherrick@idfa.org.

To learn more about the Commitment, visit www.healthyschoolmilk.org.