The US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service announced new school meal standards on Wednesday that will limit the quantity of added sugars for the first time and modestly cut sodium content, among other changes.
The final rule, published on Wednesday, will be implemented in phases over the following three years.
Every day, approximately 30 million children in K–12schools receive breakfast and lunch. According to the USDA, these meals provide the majority of the nutrients for more than half of these children.
Current dietary guidelines advocate limiting added sugars to less than 10% of daily calorie consumption
According to studies, the content of school lunches has a significant impact on children’s health and nutrition. The Obama administration’s efforts to promote more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products considerably reduced the body mass index of children and teenagers.
The final rule is quite similar to the proposal that was described approximately a year ago, and it takes into account responses from over 136,000 public comments and more than 50 listening sessions with state agencies, school districts, advocacy organizations, food producers, and other stakeholders.
Current dietary guidelines advocate limiting added sugars to less than 10% of daily calorie consumption, yet statistics from the 2014-15 school year revealed that the typical school lunch contained 11% added sugar, while breakfast contained 17% added sugar.
Added sugars are a significant source of excess calories and provide no nutritional value.
Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, certain items, such as breakfast cereals, yogurt, and flavored milk, will have added sugar limits. By the 2027–28 school year, weekly meal calories will be capped at 10% added sugar.
While the USDA’s initial plan called for a gradual drop in sodium, with three 10% drops phased in over several years, the final regulation demands a 15% cut in sodium in lunches and a 10% cut in sodium in breakfasts by the 2027-28 school year. Given the current sodium levels in the food supply, this adjustment takes into account the “time needed for product reformulation and for student palates to adjust,” according to the USDA rule.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, stated that the amended criteria represent an “important step forward” in the right direction.
“Added sugars are a significant source of excess calories, provide no nutritional value, and may cause weight gain and increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. We are thrilled to see the USDA has followed the recommendations from a 2022 citizen petition from the American Heart Association and other public health groups to include an added sugar standard in this final rule,” she said.
“Although we are disappointed that the whole grain standard does not fully align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the sodium standard does not require more significant reductions, we understand recent legislation limited USDA’s ability to go further.”
According to a news release from the USDA, school meals will continue to prioritize fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and cultural and religious food preferences to provide balanced meals that children like. Beginning next school year, schools will also have the option to require unprocessed agricultural products to be locally grown, raised, or caught.
“We all share the goal of helping children reach their full potential,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the news release. “Like teachers, classrooms, books, and computers, nutritious school meals are an essential part of the school environment, and when we raise the bar for school meals, it empowers our kids to achieve greater success inside and outside of the classroom.”