Dykes celebrates dairy success, but school whole milk will take time

PALM DESERT, Calif. — In a speech at the International Dairy Foods Association’s Dairy Forum here this week, IDFA President Michael Dykes celebrated the dairy industry’s accomplishments in 2025, but said that schools are unlikely to reintroduce whole milk until the 2026-2027 school year.

In the Monday morning speech, Dykes pointed out that the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages milk consumption and that Congress had passed and President Trump signed a bill to allow the schools to serve whole milk and 2% fat milk, reversing an Obama-era rule that allowed only skim milk. But Dykes noted at a news conference that the Agriculture Department has to write a rule this year giving guidance to the schools on how to reintroduce whole and 2% fat milk.

Higher-fat milks are more expensive than skim milk, and IDFA officials have acknowledged that costs will be a major factor in schools’ decisions about introducing the beverages. One IDFA official said it’s likely most schools will serve 2% fat milk rather than whole milk, which is 3.25% fat in most states, but 3.5% fat in California.

Read Dykes speech at https://tinyurl.com/2s8c8z6f.