Proposed bill to give schools freedom on milk choices amid MAHA push
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will allow schools to expand milk offerings and allow for whole reduced-fat, and other options that changes current USDA policies.
Supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement are backing a bill that seeks to give schools more freedom when it comes to milk choices.
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act 2025 was introduced by Representative Glenn Thompson (R-Penn) and would revise requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"USDA regulations require milk to be fat-free or low-fat and allow milk to be flavored or unflavored," reads the bill’s summary.
"The bill modifies these restrictions and instead permits schools to offer students whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk," it continued.
Schools would be given more freedom in the ability to offer organic or non-organic options while also looking at the nutritional value of milk.
"Milk provides 13 essential nutrients that supplement growth and health, two key factors contributing to academic success. The Whole Milk for Health Kids Act of 2025 provides schools the flexibility they need to offer a variety of options," said Rep. Thompson, according to the Texas Farm Bureau.
A spokesperson for MAHA Action, a 501c4 organization that creates reforms to America's public health policies, told Fox News Digital that the group is in support of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.
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"We agree that whole milk is the healthiest option for kids. Current science shows that healthy fats are critical to a balanced diet and one of the best forms of healthy fats is whole milk," said the spokesperson.
A study published in June 2024 in Nutrition Research titled "Whole milk dairy foods and cardiometabolic health: dairy fat and beyond" found that dietary recommendations concerning dairy likely require greater precision.
The study cited that dairy fat intakes are associated with neutral to beneficial cardiometabolic activities and the health benefits of dairy foods vary by fat content and product fermentation.
In October, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted on X that the "FDA’s war on public health is about to end."
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Secretary Kennedy noted the "aggressive suppression" of peptides, vitamins and raw milk.
Additionally, the bill would prohibit schools from purchasing or offering milk produced by Chinese state-owned businesses.
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act was voted out of the Committee on Education and Workforce with bipartisan approval.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Thompson's office for comment.
