U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson Thursday applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for issuing a rule to provide schools more flexibility in implementing federal nutrition standards. 

“This commonsense rule will allow schools more options while providing nutritious varieties of milk,” said Rep. Thompson, Vice Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee. “If schools have more options, students are going to drink more milk, which was once a staple in the diet of our student populations. I applaud Agriculture Secretary Purdue for taking this important action to ensure students are receiving meals that are both nutritious and satisfying.”

Thompson says over the past eight years, milk consumption in schools has dramatically decreased following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. In response, Rep. Thompson and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) authored H.R. 4101, the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017, which permits schools to serve 1% fat, both flavored and non-flavored varieties.   

This will benefit nearly 99,000 schools and institutions that feed 30 million children annually through USDA’s school meal programs.