Three-time U.S. Olympian tells lawmakers to lift ‘Milk Mandate’

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Three-time Olympic weightlifter Kendrick Farris addressed Louisiana lawmakers in Congress to drop a ‘milk mandate‘ to ‘give kids nutritious beverages that won’t harm their health.’

The Shreveport native competed in the Olympics for the United States in Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Rio (2016) and was a Pan American Games gold medalist. According to the news release, he “broke U.S. records while on a completely plant-based diet after struggling as a child with health issues related to drinking milk.”

Farris challenged the milk requirement in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which provides low-cost or free lunches to children, in public and nonprofit private schools (grades Pre-Kindergarten–12).

In 2019, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) conducted a study on 46 schools across eight states and found that one of the most commonly wasted items is milk.

The study revealed that U.S. schools’ annual disposal of single-use milk cartons costs taxpayers $1.7 billion.

“It just doesn’t make sense to put millions of cartons of milk on kids’ trays when the federal government knows full well that the product makes many of them wretch,” said Farris.

The NSLP states schools are required to offer ‘fluid milk’ at each breakfast, lunch, or supper meal service.

“I am thrilled that Rep. Troy Carter and Sen. John Kennedy, from my home state of Louisiana, are leading this effort to get government working better and smarter. Now it’s time for all federal lawmakers to get on board and offer kids a beverage option that makes sense for them and to stop this absurd waste of food and taxpayer dollars.”

He was joined on Capitol Hill by Olympian Dotsie Bausch, and she stated, “In the name of social and educational justice, we now urge our leaders in the Congress to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act so that all children have access to nutrition that does not make them sick.”

The news release claims children across the country are denied lactose-intolerant beverage options.

“Our nation’s ‘milk mandate’ is a sure-fire way to cause digestive distress and to impede classroom learning for millions of school kids with lactose intolerance,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the nonprofit Animal Wellness Action.

They state ‘Children can obtain non-dairy options through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) but not through the NSLP, which is a glaring inconsistency in our federal nutrition assistance programs.’

“The government is overreaching by subsidizing and promoting milk beyond its natural appeal to consumers,” Pacelle said.