Dear Jack,

Did you see our email?

Millions of kids rely on school meals as a primary source of healthy food — and super sugary milk at school is just one example of where we need stronger nutrition standards for school meals. Please help us urge the USDA to protect kids’ health and limit added sugars in school milk!

Add your name to the Center for Science in the Public Interest's petition and tell the USDA to improve our school meal nutrition standards.
ADD YOUR NAME
This is the email we previously sent:

Dear Jack,

Most of us are familiar with the traditional school milk carton. In fact, many of us grew up drinking school milk without a second thought. But if you stop and give these cartons a closer look, the nutrition facts labels might shock you.

Yep, in that squished up, small font you may find a very large portion of added sugars — in fact, some flavored milks contain a whopping 16 grams — that’s 4 teaspoons — of added sugars!

Big dairy producer Shamrock Farms, who distributes milk throughout the southwest, boasts 16 grams of added sugar in a single half-pint carton of their low-fat chocolate milk sold to schools!

And it doesn’t get much better with Wawa, who distributes milk to schools throughout the Philadelphia metro area. Wawa offers a similar low-fat chocolate milk carton with 14 grams — or 3 ½ teaspoons — of added sugars.

Excessive consumption of added sugars is linked to dental decay, weight gain, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Not to mention, both Shamrock Farms’ and Wawa’s fat-free strawberry milks contain the harmful synthetic food dye Red 40, which can have adverse neurobehavioral effects on some kids.

Millions of kids rely on school meals as a primary source of healthy food. And super sugary milk at school is just one example of where we need stronger nutrition standards for school meals.

Change is long overdue. The USDA has proposed updates to school nutrition standards for school meals. Join us in demanding that these measures include capping added sugars in school breakfasts and lunches, which will in turn lower the overall amount of added sugars kids consume daily.

ADD YOUR NAME
Sincerely,

Meghan Maroney
Campaign Manager, Federal Child Nutrition Programs
Center for Science in the Public Interest

Paid for by Center for Science in the Public Interest. Does not equal endorsement.

By clicking the submit button, you give the Center for Science in the Public Interest the authority to submit this comment and your complete first and last name, your email, and your address for docket number FNS-2022-0043 to USDA, on your behalf. You understand that your comment, including any personal information provided, will be publicly posted to the Federal eRulemaking portal, www.regulations.gov, and will be available for public viewing. It will also be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612.