Summary

Allows schools to offer a broader range of milk options in the National School Lunch and related programs — including flavored milk, whole milk, lactose‑free, and approved nondairy beverages — and clarifies counting of milk fat for meal standards and who can excuse a student from milk requirements. Also updates food‑service staff training to add required content about preventing, recognizing, and responding to food‑allergic reactions and aligns certification language to that addition.

Key Points

• Permits a wider variety of school meal beverage options, including flavored milk, whole milk, lactose‑free milk, and qualifying nondairy beverages.
• Specifies that milk fat in provided milk is not counted as saturated fat for the meal saturated‑fat standard.
• Clarifies which party may excuse a student from milk rules (e.g., medical exemptions or authorized designees).
• Adds required food‑allergy prevention, recognition, and response material to training for local food‑service personnel.
• Updates certification language so staff certifications explicitly reflect the new allergy training content.
• Affects school procurement, menu planning, and local training practices but does not provide new federal funding.
• Does not change overall nutrition standards beyond the specific milk/saturated‑fat treatment and training content requirement.
• Applies to Child Nutrition Act program operations and local school meal implementation.
• Aims to improve allergy safety and expand acceptable beverage choices for students with differing dietary needs or preferences.

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