Whole milk will soon return to school cafeterias, signaling a reversal after a decade-long absence and ushering in a major change after President Trump signed legislation on Wednesday to restore more milk options.
The law, which was approved unanimously by Congress late last year, lifts a ban on full-fat and 2 percent milk in federally funded school nutrition programs. It also gives schools more flexibility in serving nondairy milks.
“It will ensure that millions of school-age children will have access to high quality milk as we ‘Make America Healthy Again,’” Mr. Trump said, with a jug of milk sitting atop the Resolute Desk.
The new law reverses an Obama-era policy prohibiting full-fat and 2 percent milk from the National School Lunch Program that has been in place since 2011. Federal law and nutrition guidelines at the time were based upon the belief that whole milk caused obesity in children.
Years of intense lobbying by the dairy industry, shifting scientific research on the nutritional value of whole milk and the Make America Healthy Again movement have culminated in its return.
Milk enthusiasts and the dairy industry rejoiced.
Gregg Doud, the president and chief executive of the National Milk Producers Federation, said in a statement in December that the law showed both the “major progress in improving the nourishment of American school kids” and the bipartisan support behind it.
The bill’s passage caps a banner moment for milk. Milk consumption rose in 2024, the first time after years of decline. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, vowed last summer to end “the attack on whole milk, cheese and yogurt.” Federal dietary guidelines, released this month, also encouraged Americans to consume more cheese and whole milk.
In addition to allowing schools to serve full-fat and 2 percent milk, both flavored and unflavored, the law also allows parents to request a substitute for milk. Previously, a doctor’s note was required.
The law also exempts milk fats from an existing requirement that limits saturated fats to 10 percent of calories offered in school meals.
Linda Qiu is a Times reporter who specializes in fact-checking statements made by politicians and public figures. She has been reporting and fact-checking public figures for nearly a decade.
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