NORWICH – The Chenango County Agriculture, Building and Grounds Committee is taking a stance against a new recommendation from the United States Department of Agriculture that bars whole milk from school lunches.
The USDA requires schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to limit milk to one percent and skim milk, eliminating the option of whole milk to students. A cup of whole milk contains three times as much saturated fat as the same amount of low-fat milk. The USDA says serving only low-fat (one percent) and fat-free (skim) milk meets requirements to offer milk in a variety of fat contents to provide calcium without a lot of saturated fat.
Although the intent of serving low-fat and fat-free milk is good, several studies exist that seem to dispute the idea that skim and one percent milk leads to weight loss, explained Ken Smith, Director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County.
“Studies have come out lately that show kids who drink skim milk are more obese than kids who drink whole milk,” Smith told members of the Ag Buildings and Grounds Committee last week. “What’s impressive is that it’s not just one study; it’s multiple studies.”
Smith cited research published in the British Medical Journal, which examines the relationships between type of milk consumed and weight status among preschool children. Results of the study conclude that consumption of one percent and skim milk is more common among overweight and obese preschoolers.
Moreover, a 2005 study conducted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston assessed links between milk, calcium from foods and beverages, dairy fat and weight change over time. The study concluded that children who drank the most milk gain more weight; but that can be attributed to added calorie intake. Dietary calcium in skim and one percent milk were associated with weight gain but dairy fat was not, according to the study.
And according to another study by the Children’s Hospital in Boston, children who drank whole milk had a lower body index.
“It’s very counterintuitive,” Smith added. “It might be that kids who drink whole milk feel fuller after a meal ... They don’t feel the need to help themselves to an additional serving or a few extra cookies.”
Despite recent findings that relate milk type to childhood obesity, most local school districts have not taken a stance either way and are currently following guidelines established by the USDA.
“We are adhering to the USDA standards of one percent and skim milk,” said Norwich City School District Food Service Director Randy White.
Since a total 17 school buildings in Chenango County serve milk in school lunches and breakfasts for students, the act of eliminating whole milk was discouraged by local legislators.
“This seems like a governmental regulation that just doesn’t need to be there,” argued Ag Committee member Peter Flanagan, Town of Preston supervisor. “I think it’s best that there just not a be recommendation at all.”
The committee adopted a resolution calling on the USDA to retract recommendations to only provide skim and one percent milk. The resolution states that “Chenango County recommends the United States Department of Agriculture rescind the recommendation to only provide skim and one percent milk in schools.”
The resolution further requests that a copy of the resolution also be sent to the NYS Commission of Agriculture and Markets, the USDA, US Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, and US Representative Richard Hanna.