Statement by the Sugar Association: USDA/International Dairy Foods Association Healthy School Milk Commitment

Washington, D.C. – April, 5, 2023 – The Sugar Association (SAI) and its members are committed to helping Americans, including school aged children, achieve a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle through consuming all nutrients – including sugar – in the right amounts.

School meals are the most nutritious meals many students eat, and SAI supports the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) and dairy industry’s efforts to ensure flavored milk remains an option under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program, consistent with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendations for added sugars.

As the ‘Healthy School Milk Commitment’ moves forward, it is important that alternative sweeteners are not encouraged or deployed as a frontline sugar reduction strategy for flavored milk served in schools.

The use of low- and no- calorie sweeteners in products intended primarily for both children and adults has increased by 300% in recent years, and their presence in food products is easily cloaked from consumers because of FDA’s arcane and outdated food labeling requirements.

As the health effects of sugar substitutes on children are not adequately studied, we should proceed cautiously when it comes to initiatives that incentivize the use of these ingredients.

We support flavored milk products, which provide important nutrients and are always a fan-favorite among school students in our nation’s schools, and caution against the use of sugar substitutes to meet sugar reduction commitments in the milk consumed by our nation’s school children.

###

The Sugar Association, founded in 1943, is the scientific voice of the U.S. sugar industry. The association is committed to making a difference by continuously supporting scientific research and sharing its knowledge that there’s more to sugar by increasing consumer understanding of and confidence in the role that real sugar plays in a nutritious, balanced and enjoyable diet. The Sugar Association represents nearly 12,000 beet and cane sugar growers, as well as processors and refiners of sugar. The U.S. sugar industry generates 142,000 jobs in 22 states and contributes $20 billion to the economy annually. For more information, visit www.sugar.org, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and connect with us on Facebook.