Added sugar levels in flavored school milk sees huge drop

The Healthy School Milk Commitment has led to a reduction of added sugar levels by 10% in flavored school milk between the 2023 and 2024 school years, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

The Commitment was launched in April 2023 by 37 school milk processors representing approximately 95% of the school milk volume in the United States. Since that time, added sugar in flavored school milk, such as chocolate milk, has declined from 8.2 grams per serving to 7.4 grams per serving. In the past year alone, school milk processors have removed 2.7 billion grams of added sugar, equal to 5.9 million pounds.

IDFA’s Healthy School Milk Commitment is a pledge by 37 school milk processors to provide healthy, nutritious school milk options with no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounce serving, consistent with school meal nutrition guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“These results demonstrate how America’s school milk processors continue to find ways to ensure children enjoy milk’s 13 essential nutrients in a product they love,” said Michael Dykes, president and CEO, IDFA. “The Healthy School Milk Commitment ensures all children, especially our most vulnerable, have access to nutritious milk options throughout the year with less added sugar and fewer calories. School milk is the leading source of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium for American children. IDFA and our nation’s school milk processors have stepped up in a big way to provide wholesome and healthy milk options to children all year around.”

According to surveys among school milk processors conducted by IDFA and Prime Consulting, the level of added sugars in flavored milk products has declined by 55% between 2006 and 2024, from 16.7 grams per 8-ounce serving in 2006 to 7.4 grams of added sugar per serving in 2024. Calories associated with flavored milk have also declined during that same period, from 166 to less than 125 calories per 8-ounce serving.

More than two-thirds of milk consumed by children in school today is flavored, such as chocolate and strawberry milk. Therefore, the reductions in sugar and calories achieved by IDFA’s Healthy School Milk Commitment are critical to improving child nutrition, IDFA stated.