The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment is a voluntary, proactive effort by America’s dairy companies to support families and students in their efforts to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Nearly 30 million children and adolescents participate in federal school meal programs including breakfast and lunch. Dairy products including milk, cheese, and yogurt play a central role in school meals by providing 13 essential nutrients students need for healthy growth and development.
As parents, policymakers, and nutrition professionals support making wholesome dairy options available for our nation’s schoolchildren, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), on behalf of America’s school milk, cheese, and yogurt processors, is leading the Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment, a voluntary effort to eliminate the use of certified artificial colors Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 in all milk, cheese, and yogurt products sold to K-12 schools for use in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program by the start of the 2026-2027 school year. The vast majority of dairy products sold to schools today do not contain any certified artificial colors, as most dairy processors chose not to use or have removed or replaced these ingredients. The goal of this new Commitment is to eliminate the use of certified artificial colors in any milk, yogurt, and cheese products sold to schools by July 2026 and in the years ahead.
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year (July 2026), all companies supporting the Commitment pledge to eliminate the use of certified artificial colors Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 in all milk, cheese, and yogurt products sold to K-12 schools for use in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. This effort does not apply to foods that fall outside of reimbursable federal school meals.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed certified artificial colors safe for use in foods when used in accordance with FDA regulations, the federal government is considering how to phase out the use of these ingredients in the U.S. food supply. At the same time, several states have passed laws banning the use of all certified colors in foods sold to schools, and additional states are expected to follow.
Moving forward, all companies supporting the Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment have pledged to discontinue products containing certified artificial colors or to reformulate products with natural ingredients, joining the majority of companies that will continue making products for schools without certified artificial colors.
The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment further demonstrates our industry’s longstanding promise to provide healthy, nutritious dairy options to school kids everywhere. This includes developing new and reformulated products without certified artificial colors, reducing added sugar, and working with school meals professionals and nutrition professionals to educate school staff and students about the benefits of healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt options in the diets of children and adolescents.
The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans is clear – children are not receiving enough essential nutrients for growth, development, healthy immune function, and overall wellness. In fact, U.S. federal dietary guidelines stress that between 68% and 94% of school-age boys and girls are currently failing to meet recommended levels of dairy intake. Healthy dairy options in school meals offer the most important opportunity of the day for children to get the critical nutrients they need. For years, parents and nutrition professionals have agreed that milk and dairy products must remain key building blocks in school meals. The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment affirms that promise and demonstrates U.S. dairy’s dedication to our nation’s youth.
The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment covers all cow’s fluid milk, cheese, and yogurt products served in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. The Commitment does not extend to products served in private schools or plant-based foods or beverages that are served as alternatives to cow’s milk-based dairy products.
Yes, the commitment applies to milk, cheese and yogurt products served to school children in grades K through 12 through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Yes, the Commitment covers milk, cheese and yogurt provided to children in school in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
While the FDA has determined—based on the best science available—that each of the colors we are voluntarily removing from our products are safe to consume, the U.S. dairy industry is committed to removing all barriers to children accessing the essential nutrition provided by dairy foods. Parents and policymakers around the country have made clear that they do not want their children consuming certified artificial colors. U.S. dairy is committed to meeting them where they are.
While the vast majority of dairy products sold to schools today do not contain any certified artificial colors, those that do will need to reformulate their product. Reformulation of dairy products typically take between 2 and 5 years to ensure that the new product is safe and maintains the high quality standards that dairy companies maintain for their foods. If we are to meet our goal of ensuring we remove barriers to children accessing dairy nutrition, we need to make sure the reformulated products remain safe, accessible, and appealing to our children. Our one-year timeline for reformulation of the limited dairy foods containing certified artificial colors is ambitious yet achievable.
More than 50 dairy and food companies support this effort, representing nearly all of the dairy foods sold to schools in the U.S. All companies supporting this effort have pledged to discontinue products containing certified artificial colors or to reformulate products with natural ingredients, joining the majority of companies that will continue making products for schools without certified artificial colors.
