NMPF Thwarts Efforts to Ban Flavored Milk in West Virginia Schools

Strong advocacy by NMPF and its partners helped prevent the passage of harmful legislation in West Virginia that would have limited students’ access to nutritious dairy products in school meals.

West Virginia’s legislative session concluded March 14 without advancing SB 745, a proposal that would have imposed strict limits on added sugars in school foods. As written, the bill would have effectively removed flavored milk and other dairy options from school menus, a change that raised serious concerns among nutrition experts, dairy farmers, and school meal professionals alike.

NMPF worked closely with the International Dairy Foods Association and other allies to educate lawmakers about the unintended consequences of the proposal. Research and real-world experience show that when flavored milk is removed from schools, students drink less milk overall, reducing their intake of key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and potassium.

The stakes extended beyond West Virginia, which has become a focal point for the “Make America Healthy Again” movement; passage of SB 745 could have set a precedent for similar legislation in other states — or even at the federal level.

By stopping the bill, NMPF and its partners helped protect school meal choice, sound nutrition policy, and the role of dairy in supporting children’s health. This outcome ensures that West Virginia students will continue to have access to flavored milk and other dairy foods that play an essential role in healthy diets, while reinforcing the importance of science-based decision-making in nutrition policy.