In February 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed an update to the School Nutrition Standards. Some of these proposals were misguided, but one was on the right track: a limit on added sugars to 10% of calories per meal, starting in 2027.
In response to this proposal, the Nutrition Coalition has urged USDA to move faster and further by reducing added sugars across the weekly School Meal menus to less than 6% of calories per meal by Fall 2023.
Childhood obesity and pre-diabetes rates have reached epidemic levels, and given the large body of science available about the damage to human health caused by sugar, there’s no credible reason for the USDA to delay reducing sugar consumption until 2027. Currently, there is no cap on sugar in school meals.
The Nutrition Coalition has taken the following actions:
Launched an official campaign called "Cut the Sugar," and we're encouraging everyone to participate by submitting a comment to USDA and spreading the word on social media.
Submitted a formal comment and shared it directly with Secretary Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the USDA: TNC to USDA: Cut the Sugar in School Meals
TNC’s proposal is supported by the Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which recommended that Americans reduce their added sugar intake to less than 6% of total calories.
A 6% cap would also align with the American Heart Association's recommendation that children should consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar daily, which is equivalent to less than 6% of their total caloric intake, depending on age.
A USDA report revealed that 92% of meals in the School Breakfast Program and nearly 69% of meals in the National School Lunch Program exceed the Dietary Guidelines’ 10% of calories cap on sugar.
The Nutrition Coalition has been the sole public policy organization urging USDA to go further and faster on its sugar reduction proposal. Surprisingly, other advocacy groups have supported the USDA’s plan to wait four years before even beginning cuts on sugar.
Indeed, a group called the School Nutrition Association (SNA) contends that now is not the time to raise school meal standards, calling this goal "unachievable." It is worth noting that SNA is funded by large food manufacturers including PepsiCo and Mondelez International, the makers of Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies. Many of these highly processed foods are included in school meal programs and risk being cut with sugar reductions.
We strongly believe that waiting four years is too long for our nation’s children. It’s time to cut sugar in schools and give our children the healthy start in life they deserve.