School lunch program pits dairy farmers against soybean growers

WASHINGTON -- A food fight is brewing in school cafeterias that could elbow aside the long-standing drink of choice -- milk -- to make some room for soy.

Soybean growers and the soy foods industry are pushing the government to reimburse schools that decide to offer soy milk as well as cow's milk. They say it is a healthy option, particularly for youngsters who have trouble digesting milk.

Under current law, school districts can be reimbursed for soy milk or lactose-free milk only if a student has a doctor's note.

Dairy farmers, who for years have held the beverage monopoly in the federal school lunch program, are resisting the change. They say nothing is as healthy as cow's milk with its calcium and vitamins A and D.

The Senate Agriculture Committee took up the issue Feb. 25 when it held its first hearing on reauthorizing the National School Lunch Act, which subsidizes school meals.

"This is one of our top legislative priorities this year," said Bev Paul, a lobbyist for the American Soybean Association.

At stake are federal dollars. According to the National Milk Producers Federation, school purchases accounted for 5 percent of U.S. milk sales in 2001.

Paul said dairy farmers should not feel threatened. The soy industry estimates that soy milk accounts for only 2 percent of the retail milk sales in the country.

Soy milk as an option

"We're not interested in pitting farmer against farmer," Paul said. "Our focus would be on kids who don't drink milk."

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says lactose intolerance is a real problem that disproportionately affects minorities. The group promotes a vegan diet -- no meat, fish, dairy or egg products.

"Soy milk should be an option," said Archana Prasad, a 16-year-old lactose intolerant student at Venice High School in Los Angeles.

Steve Demos, president of White Wave, which makes Silk soy milk, said he is puzzled by the dairy industry's opposition to offering soy milk in schools.

"This is a taxpayer-based support program for feeding children," he said. "Why would anyone be against meeting that child's need? We're not asking anyone to drop dairy."

He called the current system, which requires a doctor's note, "much too cumbersome, much too demanding on the consumer."

Ironically, White Wave is owned by Dean Foods, the nation's largest processor and distributor of cow's milk.

Soy groups want the Agriculture Department to establish nutritional standards for soy milk in schools that would require it to be fortified with Vitamins A, D and calcium.

Dairy groups say that misses the point.

"You can fortify anything," said Susan Ruland, a spokeswoman for the International Dairy Foods Association. "But the purpose of the program is to get kids to eat healthy. What we're doing is going down a road of feeding kids vitamins rather than food."

Good eating habits

Greg Miller, senior vice president of nutrition and scientific affairs for the National Dairy Council, the nutrition and promotion arm of the dairy industry, said one of the purposes of the school lunch program is to encourage good eating habits.

But some question the benefits of milk.

"I consider dairy milk to be one of the most unhealthy beverages promoted toward children," said Jackie Domac, a teacher and health department chairwoman at Venice High School in Los Angeles. "In many ways it's worse than soda. It's full of antibiotics, hormones, saturated fat and cholesterol, none of which our students need. It's not fair to push dairy when there is a healthy alternative that students enjoy."

Both sides seem to agree that even if Congress does allow soy milk to be reimbursed, students will not flock to it.

"Given the tastes of the competing products, soy milk is not something most kids would opt for," said Chris Galen, a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation.

"I don't believe at this point in time, the average child will take a soy milk," said Nancy Chapman, a lobbyist for the Soyfoods Association of North America. "Children don't take foods they aren't familiar with."

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On the Net:

International Dairy Foods Association: http://www.idfa.org/

American Soybean Association: http://www.amsoy.org/

White Wave: http://www.whitewave.com/