General Reference (not clearly pro or con)
The School Nutrition Association wrote in its June 2006 report "Availability of Flavored Milk in Schools," that:
"Flavored milk is offered by 97% of school districts. Almost all school districts (9
4%) offer flavored milk five days a week. Milk with reduced fat levels (2%, 1%, or fat-free varieties) is offered
by 99% of school districts.
Chocolate milk is almost always offered on the meal line. Chocolate milk with a 1% fat level is the most
commonly available variety. About 15% of schools do not offer chocolate on the a la carte line; this reflects
that not all school districts have a la carte.
Strawberry milk is offered in about 65% of districts on both the meal line and a la carte line. Low fat (1%) is
the most popular fat level for strawberry milk.
Vanilla milk is currently offered by approximately one-quarter of school districts. Low-fat vanilla milk is the
most widely available fat level.
Coffee/mocha milk is offered by 10-15% of school districts.
About 12% of school districts serve other flavors on the line. About 14% offer other flavors a la carte. Other
flavors might include banana, orange/orange cream, dulce de leche, blue raspberry, raspberry, blueberry,
rootbeer, cookies, and cream, and dulce de leche."
June 2006 - School Nutrition Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) stated the following in their Aug. 24, 2009 publication "Dietary Sugars
Intake and Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association" published in
the Journal of the American Heart Association:
"As expected, a healthy, well-balanced diet contains naturally occurring sugars, because monosaccharides
such as fructose and disaccharides such as sucrose and lactose are integral components of fruit, vegetables,
dairy products, and many grains. In addition, sugars add desirable sensory effects to many foods, and a
sweet taste promotes enjoyment of meals and snacks. In fact, when sugars are added to otherwise nutrientrich foods, such as sugar-sweetened dairy products like flavored milk and yogurt and sugar-sweetened
cereals, the quality of children's and adolescents' diets improves, and in the case of flavored milks, no
adverse effects on weight status were found. However, deleterious health effects may occur when sugars are
consumed in large amounts."
Aug. 24, 2009 - American Heart Association (AHA)
Should Flavored Milk Be Available in Schools?
PRO (yes)
Linda R. Stoll, MPH, Executive Director of Food Services for
Jeffco Public Schools (Jefferson County, CO), was quoted in
the article "The Impact on Student Milk Consumption and
Nutrient Intakes from Eliminating Flavored Milk in Schools,"
available at www.milkdelivers.org (accessed July 13, 2011):
"It seems clear to me that there are far better ways to trim
calories and added sugar from the menu than removing
chocolate milk, which makes so many positive contributions
to children's diets...
[C]hocolate milk is just as nutrient-rich as white milk, and if it
helps children drink more milk, then that's a positive
strategy.”
July 13, 2011 - Linda R. Stoll, MPH
Mary M. Murphy, MS, RD, Managing Scientist in Exponent's
Health Sciences Center for Chemical Regulation and Food
Safety, et al., stated the following in their Apr. 4, 2008 study,
"Drinking Flavored or Plain Milk Is Positively Associated with
Nutrient Intake and Is Not Associated with Adverse Effects
CON (no)
John E. Deasy, PhD, Superintendent of the
Los Angeles Unified School District stated the
following in an Apr. 26, 2011 letter to the
members of the Los Angeles Board of
Education, available at www.latimes.com:
"I am recommending the elimination of flavored
milk with added sugars in all LAUSD schools in
anticipation of the renewal of milk contracts by
the Board of Education on June 14, 2011. This
change will benefit our students by offering
them only milk products that lack the higher
amounts of added sugars...
LAUSD cares deeply about student nutrition
and our goal is to be the premier school food
establishment in America. LAUSD is already a
recognized national leader in the effort to
promote healthy food and lifestyles to combat
diabetes, obesity and other health issues including the banning of sodas and other drinks
high in sugar... the elimination of flavored milk
with added sugars further strengthens the
on Weight Status in US Children and Adolescents,"
published in the Journal of the American Dietetic
Association:
"Several of the nutrients provided by milk are important for
optimal health and growth...
Flavored milks provide another option for meeting the
recommended intakes of dairy products, and research in
schools shows that students purchase more milk when milk
offerings are enhanced and include flavored milk. Servings
of plain milk and chocolate milk provide essentially identical
amounts of protein, total and saturated fat, calcium,
phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin A, riboflavin, and
potassium...
Some schools limit children's access to flavored milk
presumably due to concerns that the beverages provide
unhealthful levels of added sugars and fat, therefore
potentially contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.
Childhood obesity is a significant concern in the United
States; data collected between 2003 and 2004 indicate that
17.1% of children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years
were overweight.
We are unaware of evidence that consumption of flavored
milk is associated with increased risk for obesity...
Until those data are available, limiting children and
adolescents' access to flavored milk due to its higher added
sugars or energy content may only have the undesirable
effect of further reducing intakes of many essential nutrients
provided by milk."
District's goal of providing a balanced nutritious
meal for all students. Added sugars in our
flavored milk products provide an additional 6
to 13 grams of sugars to the milk products
served to our students. With the increasing
rates of obesity and diabetes of our student
population, it is necessary that the District
make this decision to promote healthy
outcomes for our students."
[Editors Note: On Tuesday June 14, 2011, the
Los Angeles Unified School District Board of
Education voted 5-2 to remove flavored milk
from its menus.]
Apr. 26, 2011 - John E. Deasy, PhD
Apr. 4, 2008 - Mary M. Murphy, MS, RD
The National Dairy Council (NDC) stated the following in its
2010 fact sheet "Top Five Reasons to Raise Your Hand for
Flavored Milk," available at www.milkdelivers.org:
"Flavored milk drinkers consume more milk than exclusively
white milk drinkers. Offering flavored low-fat or fat-free milk
can help increasemilk consumption and boost overall
participation in school meal programs...
Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as
white milk and is a healthful alternative to soft drinks.
Low-fat and fat-free flavored milk contains — calcium,
potassium, phosphorous, protein, vitamins A, D and B12,
riboflavin and niacin (niacin equivalents) — and can help
kids meet their calcium recommendations.
Flavored milk drinkers have lower intakes of soft drinks
compared to those who do not drink flavored milk...
Flavored milk drinkers do not have higher total fat or calorie
intakes than non-milk drinkers.
Children who drink flavored and white milk don't have higher
body mass index (BMI) than those who do not drink milk...
Removing flavored milk from schools has been shown to
result in a 62-63 percent reduction in milk consumption by
kids in kindergarten through 5th grade, a 50 percent
reduction in milk consumption by adolescents in 6th through
8th grades, and a 37 percent reduction in milk consumption
in adolescents in 9th through 12th grades."
Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD, Deputy Director for
the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
at Yale University, and Kathryn Henderson,
PhD, Director for School and Community
Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy
and Obesity at Yale University, stated the
following in their Apr. 20, 2011 article
"Chocolate Milk in Schools: Should It Be
Banned?," available at
www.huffingtonpost.com:
"One source of added sugar that is a staple in
school cafeterias is flavored milk. Promoting
only unflavored milk is an effective way to
reduce the added sugar children consume at
school.
First, let's recognize the chocolate milk
controversy for what it really is about:
marketing. In 2010, the dairy industry's national
marketing group, the Milk Processor Education
Program, launched a $1 million initiative to
promote chocolate milk, especially in schools
(where most flavored milk is sold). The dairy
industry claims that children will not drink
unflavored milk -- adding sugar to it is
necessary to ensure adequate calcium intake...
Flavored milk is not the nutritional equivalent of
unflavored milk. It is significantly higher in
Sep. 18, 2007 - National Dairy Council (NDC)
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) stated the
following in its Nov. 11, 2009 press release "Science
Supports the Important Role of Milk, Including Flavored Milk,
in Children's Nutrition," available at www.eatright.org:
"All milk contains a unique combination of nutrients
important for growth and development. And flavored milk
accounts for less than 3.5 percent of added sugar intake
among children ages 6-12 and less than 2 percent of the
added sugar intake among teens. Studies have shown that
children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient
needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories;
and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers...
Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as
white milk – calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein,
vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin (niacin
equivalents).
Drinking low-fat or fat-free white or flavored milk helps kids
get the 3 daily servings* of milk recommended by the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, and provides three of the five
'nutrients of concern' that children do not get enough of –
calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin D.
Low-fat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in
schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if
it's taken away."
Nov. 11, 2009 - American Dietetic Association (ADA)
calories, sugar, and sodium, and usually
contains artificial colors and flavors. There are
11 grams (nearly three teaspoons) of added
sugar in one cup of flavored milk...
Many may feel that flavored milk is being
singled out in the debate over food/beverages
served in schools. In fact, all over the country
school districts have been revising their menus
-- cutting out transfat, saturated fat and sugar
in all its forms. Reducing sugar in school meals
will help children avoid consuming excess
discretionary calories, and flavored milk is one
place to start."
Apr. 20, 2011 - Kathryn Henderson, PhD
Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD
Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef and nutrition
activist, stated the following in his publication
"The Hard Facts About Flavored Milk,"
available at www.jamieoliver.com (accessed
July 12, 2011):
"Milk is a great source of nutrients for kids, but
the flavored varieties have more calories, are
highly processed and contain unnecessary
sugars and additives, which don't add any
nutritional value.
The food industry has convinced many schools
and parents that they need to serve flavored
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wrote in its June
2000 article titled "Clearing Up Confusion on Role of Dairy in
Children's Diets," published in its magazine AAP News:
"[T]here appear to be a lot of misconceptions among health
care professionals and patients regarding the role of dairy in
children's daily diet. This issue is becoming even more
important as we move toward changing choices in school
vending machines to provide beverages without caffeine
such as low-fat or nonfat milk.
Another issue that often arises is the use of flavored milks
that provide the same nutrient package as regular milk.
Unflavored milk is lower in sugar than flavored milk.
However, given the importance of calcium, vitamin D and
other key ingredients in the diet of children and adolescents,
flavored milks could be a nice alternative since the
contribution of added sugars to the overall diet of young
children is minimal."
June 2000 - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
milk to ensure kids get essential vitamins and
minerals, and is backing flavored milk with a
million dollar marketing campaign.
Science and common sense don't back that
position up. Other dairy products are a good
source of nutrition and kids can get calcium
from leafy greens, soy, nuts, and beans. All
that's needed is those marketing dollars behind
good old white milk. We know that with the
right backing from the school community, kids
are happy to drink it...
[F]lavored milk... has no place in schools... Milk
is a great source of nutrients for kids, but the
flavored varieties have more calories, are
highly processed and contain unnecessary
sugars and additives which don't add any
nutritional value...
Several studies have shown that drinking
sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to
obesity and risk for chronic disease; it seems
to be the one part of kids' diets most linked to
increased weight."
July 12, 2011 - Jamie Oliver
Amy Joy Lanou, PhD, Senior Nutrition Scientist
for the Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine, wrote in a Sep. 25, 2007 email to
ProCon.org:
"Flavored milks are not a particularly healthy
beverage option for children or teens. As with
unflavored cow's milk, flavored cow's milk is a
significant source of fat, saturated fat, and
cholesterol in children's diets. The naturally
occurring sugar in cow's milk is lactose, a type
of sugar that is not well-digested by many
children after about age 4. Flavored milks also
have sugar added, often to the point where,
ounce for ounce, they contain the same
amount of total sugar as soda.
The carbohydrates in cow's milk are primarily
comprised of lactose. The additional sugar in
chocolate milk is sucrose just like the sugar in
colas.
Two percent chocolate milk has 80% more
calories and the same amount of sugar as an
equivalent serving of cola. Just like 2% cow's
milk, 2% chocolate milk has nearly 5 grams of
fat per 1 cup serving.
Preferred substitutes for both soda and milk in
schools, include water, sparkling water, soy
milk, 100 percent fruit juices and vegetable
juices, and in some situations sport beverages
(i.e. during or after physical activity)."
Sep. 25, 2007 - Amy Joy Lanou, PhD
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) explained in its Oct. 20, 2003
complaint to the Florida Department of
Education titled "Complaint to Prohibit or
Severely Restrict Sales of Flavored Milk
Products in Vending Machines in Public
Schools":
"[F]lavored milk products are not a healthy way
to get calcium, and their sale in public schools
should be prohibited or very severely
restricted.
Given the [Florida Department of Education's]
legal obligation to choose only foods and
beverages that are nutritious and not
detrimental to the health of students, there is
simply no reasonable justification for failing to
take prompt and positive action to prohibit or
severely restrict the sale of flavored milk
products in school vending machines."
Oct. 20, 2003 - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA)