Current:Home > reviewsSchool lunches are changing: USDA updates rules to limit added sugars for the first time -Wealth Evolution Experts
School lunches are changing: USDA updates rules to limit added sugars for the first time
View
Date:2025-04-15 13:18:54
School lunches may begin to look different next year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced updated nutrition standards for school meals that will be gradually updated to include "less sugar and greater flexibility with menu planning" between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027.
“The new standards build on the great progress that school meals have made already and address remaining challenges - including reducing sugar in school breakfasts," said USDA's Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long in the news release.
"These updates also make it easier for schools to access locally sourced products, benefiting both schools and the local economy," Long concluded.
No more Lunchables:Lunchables shouldn’t be on school menus due to lead, sodium, Consumer Reports tells USDA
What do the updated USDA guidelines change?
Added sugars will be limited in school meals nationwide for the first time, according to the USDA, with small changes happening by Fall 2025 and full implementation by Fall 2027.
The agency said research shows these added sugars are most commonly found in typical school breakfast items. Child care operators will begin limiting added sugars − which are different from total sugars − in cereals and yogurts by Fall 2025.
Additionally, there will be a new limit on added sugars in flavored milk served at school breakfast and lunch by next fall, and schools will need to "slightly reduce" sodium content in their meals by Fall 2027.
Lunchables shouldn't be on school menus, Consumer Reports tells USDA
The updated guidelines from the USDA comes weeks after Consumer Reports told the agency that Lunchables shouldn't be on school lunch menus because they contain a troublingly high level of lead and sodium.
“We don’t think anybody should regularly eat these products, and they definitely shouldn’t be considered a healthy school lunch,” Eric Boring, a chemist at Consumer Reports who lead the testing, said in a statement.
The advocacy group said it tested 12 store-bought Lunchables products, made by Kraft Heinz and compared them to similar lunch and snack kits from other manufacturers.
Although none of the kits exceeded any legal or regulatory limit, the tests uncovered “relatively high levels of lead, cadmium and sodium” in the Lunchables kits, said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports.
Classified as a human carcinogen, cadmium has been linked to kidney and bone disease, as well as cancer, according to the World Health Organization. However, because cadmium is a natural element present in the soil, it can't be altogether avoided.
As for lead, no safe level exists for children to consume, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
“There’s a lot to be concerned about in these kits,” Amy Keating, a registered dietitian at Consumer Reports, said in a statement. “They’re highly processed, and regularly eating processed meat, a main ingredient in many of these products, has been linked to increased risk of some cancers.”
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Tibetans in exile accuse China of destroying their identity in Tibet under its rule
- Nacua and Flowers set for matchup of top rookie receivers when the Rams visit Ravens
- Pakistan zoo shut down after man mauled to death by tigers, shoe found in animal's mouth
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
- Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
- Some Seattle cancer center patients are receiving threatening emails after last month’s data breach
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- New Mexico police are trying to identify 4 people who died in fiery head-on crash
Ranking
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- For Putin, winning reelection could be easier than resolving the many challenges facing Russia
- Winners and losers of first NBA In-Season Tournament: Lakers down Pacers to win NBA Cup
- How Felicity Huffman Is Rebuilding Her Life After the College Admissions Scandal
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- At DC roast, Joe Manchin jokes he could be the slightly younger president America needs
- American skier Breezy Johnson says she won’t race during anti-doping rules investigation
- Eagles security guard DiSandro banned from sideline for Sunday Night Football vs. Cowboys
Recommendation
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
8 last-minute dishes to make for a holiday party — and ones to avoid
Iran bans Mahsa Amini’s family from traveling to receive the European Union’s top human rights prize
Agriculture gets its day at COP28, but experts see big barriers to cutting emissions
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
At UN climate talks, cameras are everywhere. Many belong to Emirati company with a murky history
Texas Supreme Court pauses lower court’s order allowing pregnant woman to have an abortion
H&M's Sale Has On-Trend Winter Finds & They're All up to 60% Off