Dairy Industry Eliminates Colors for the New School Year
As students across the country return to the classroom, the International Dairy Foods Assn. (IDFA) said its members have fulfilled their Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment, eliminating the use of certified artificial colors for the 2026-2027 school year.
The commitment covers milk, cheese and yogurt products sold to K–12 schools for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
The Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment was announced by IDFA in 2025 after the April 2025 public “request” by Health & Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy. IDFA members promised the elimination of Red 3 & 40, Blue 1 & 2, Yellow 5 & 6 and Green 3 for reimbursable school meals.
“The commitment went beyond existing federal requirements and most state standards, providing a consistent nationwide approach for schools, families and dairy processors,” said this week’s IDFA announcement. “Participating companies pledged to discontinue affected products or reformulate them using alternative ingredients.”
This marks the second consecutive year the U.S. dairy industry has delivered on a major voluntary commitment to improve school meals. Last year, processors met their commitment to limit added sugars in flavored milk to no more than 10g per 8-oz. serving — part of a broader trend that has cut added sugars in flavored school milk by 57% since 2006. This year, dairy processors also lowered added sugars in flavored yogurts to meet new school program standards.
“America’s dairy processors made two ambitious promises to parents, students and school nutrition professionals, and they delivered on both,” said Michael Dykes, president/CEO of IDFA.
No single dairy product or fat level will meet the needs and preferences of every child, IDFA noted. Preserving a full range of dairy choices gives school nutrition professionals the flexibility to build appealing meals and gives more students an opportunity to benefit from dairy’s nutrition.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.