The U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Thursday a forthcoming final rule setting requirements on sodium levels in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
The rule will retain Sodium Target 1 through the end of school year (SY) 2023-24, continuing to Target 2 in SY 2024-25, and eliminating the Final Target that would have gone into effect in SY 2022-23. Schools that meet Sodium Target 1 for school years 2017-20 will be considered compliant with current USDA sodium requirements.
The moves push the effective date of sodium reduction target levels, set during the Obama administration, as an initiative of then-First Lady Michelle Obama, back a few school years and eliminates the final target.
USDA first announced the changes in a Secretary’s Proclamation on May 1, 2017 and released a similar interim final rule on November 30, 2017.
USDA plans to announce the final rule within the next month and the rule will be effective 60 days from its publication.
The Sodium Targets mentioned above can be found here.
