New Nutrition Standards Proposed for School Meals

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

U.S. agriculture officials on Friday proposed new nutrition standards for school meals, including the first limits on added sugars. The plan announced by Secretary Vilsack also seeks to significantly decrease sodium.

According to an article from the Associated Press, the first limits on added sugars would be required in the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods such as sweetened cereals, yogurts and flavored milks. Sodium declines are set to need to be in order by 2029.

They go on to report that it’s being met with mixed reactions. Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance, said the changes are "necessary to help America's children lead healthier lives."

But Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association, a trade group, said school meals are already healthier than they were a decade ago and that increased regulations are a burden, especially for small and rural school districts.

At the USDA Conversation on Healthy School Meals Roundtable, Vilsack says, “Our commitment to the school meal programs comes from a common goal we all share – keeping kids healthy and helping them reach their full potential.”

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