The Biden administration wants to wean American children off milk in favor of soy milk and other dairy-free options in response to an increasing prevalence of lactose intolerance that disproportionately affects minorities.
As a result, milk rations would be slashed for low-income families receiving benefits from a major federal food assistance program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is weighing cuts to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The plan would slash the monthly allotment of milk to pregnant women by 6 quarts and to young children by 4 quarts.
In exchange, WIC recipients would have more access to soy-based dairy alternatives and other milk substitutes. States administering WIC would be required to ensure access to lactose-free options for milk.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the changes to WIC are “science-based.”
“These proposed changes will strengthen WIC — already an incredibly powerful program — by ensuring it provides foods that reflect the latest nutrition science to support healthy eating and bright futures,” Mr. Vilsack said.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in Congress said the policy proposal made no sense and would likely harm children.
“These substantial reductions in the amount of milk parents can buy for their children will exacerbate the crisis families are facing with skyrocketing prices at the store,” nearly 30 lawmakers said in a recent letter to Mr. Vilsack.
Data shows that nearly 90% of Americans are not consuming enough dairy to meet daily requirements.
WIC provides food assistance to more than 6 million low-income families, including 43% of all infants in the U.S.
The Agriculture Department also is proposing a ban on the use of WIC funds to purchase flavored milk.
Proponents of reducing the dairy allotment for WIC recipients say lactose-free milk is just as nutritious and packed with just as much calcium and vitamins as dairy milk.
The USDA’s plan is the latest front in a war on milk.
A faction of congressional Democrats has pushed for years to expand nondairy alternatives within federal programs. They have argued that non-White students suffer from lactose intolerance at disproportionately high rates.
Late last year, dozens of House Democrats demanded more soy milk in another USDA program: school lunches. They said the prevalence of milk in the lunch line was “dietary racism.”
“Our inattention to the health effects of lactose-intolerance and dairy allergies combined with the near-exclusive offering of dairy to minority students is a textbook example of dietary racism,” more than 30 House Democrats wrote to the USDA Equity Commission. “There would be reprisals if the United States were to put a product on the trays of White kids that caused potentially widespread adverse reactions. The USDA and other federal actors, including Congress, should take immediate remedial action.”
Lactose intolerance affects 80% of Blacks and American Indians and 90% of Asians, according to Boston Children’s Hospital.
Symptoms include nausea, hives, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and anaphylaxis, making breathing difficult. The severity is based on the level of tolerance and the amount of dairy consumed.
Rep. Troy Carter, Louisiana Democrat, and Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina Republican, have introduced legislation that would require schools to provide nondairy options upon the request of a student or their parent or guardian.
They cited a 2019 USDA report estimating that taxpayers help subsidize $300 million each year in unopened, discarded milk from school lunches.
The bill has the backing of Animal Wellness Action, a group dedicated to influencing legislation to protect animals and ensure better lives for wild and captive animals.
“Our nation’s ‘milk mandate’ is a surefire way to cause digestive distress and to impede classroom learning for millions of school kids with lactose intolerance,” said Wayne Pacelle, the group’s president. “It’s also a matter of reckless food and fiscal waste, easily remedied by giving kids a soy milk option. We are excited to work with Reps. Troy Carter and Nancy Mace to deliver nutritional choice in the lunchroom.”
• Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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