Fairfax Schools Bans Chocolate Milk

Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools has eliminated chocolate milk from its elementary school cafeterias beginning this fall after failing to come up with a suitable compromise product that didn't use high fructose corn syrup, reports the Burke Patch, a local newspaper. The district, led by director Penny McConnell, a past Silver Plate award winner and past president of the American School Food Service Association (now the School Nutrition Association), has made a concerted effort to reduce sugar and salt in its offerings while increasing the amount of fresh local produce and fiber-rich whole grains as part of a comprehensive healthy dining program. The serving of chocolate and other flavored milks in schools has been a hot-button topic in the school nutrition community.