Soymilk May Become Staple School Menu Item


Auburn, Dec. 10, 2003 --- Got soymilk?  More and more of the nation’s schools will be answering 
yes to that question if the American Soybean Association and others persuade Congress to 
include soymilk as an option in school lunch programs.

In October, representatives of the 25,000-member ASA asked the U.S. House of 
Representatives’ Committee on Education and the Workforce to offer soymilk as a reimbursable 
item in school lunch programs.  The request occurred as Congress discussed changes in the 
Child Nutrition Act and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, which form the basis of 
the nation’s school lunch program.

At least one nutrition expert believes it’s a good idea, especially for the millions of American 
children who either are allergic to cow’s milk or who are unable to digest lactose, the major sugar 
associated with milk.  Soymilk, he said, already is a major component in some American diets, 
particularly infants who are allergic to proteins in cow’s milk.

“Soymilk has the advantage of being less allergenic,” said Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama 
Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food 
science.  “Some infants who are put on cow’s milk formulas have difficulty digesting the proteins 
or have allergic reactions. So, they’re switched to soymilk instead.”

For the vast majority of non-white Americans, there is the added problem of lactose intolerance.  
Most Caucasians possess an enzyme in their small intestines that breaks down this carbohydrate 
so that it can be absorbed by the body, Keith said.  But the vast majority of blacks, Hispanics, 
Asians and American Indians do not produce the enzyme in adequate amounts. 

In fact, the ASA cites studies that have shown lactose intolerance in America in up to 85 percent 
of Asians, 72 percent of blacks, 70 percent of American Indians and 56 percent of Hispanics.  
Twenty-one percent of whites also are lactose intolerant.

Since milk currently is one of the only sources of calcium available on school lunch menus, this 
likely means millions of American school children are not getting adequate amounts of this 
essential nutrient, Keith said.  Calcium is a key safeguard against osteoporosis, a potentially 
crippling bone disease that usually develops late in life.

That’s why many nutritionists, including Keith, view soymilk as such an appealing alternative.

“Soymilk really has come a long way within the last 20 years in terms of taste, appeal and flavor,” 
he said.  “And it contains or has been enriched with all of the key nutrients associated with cow’s 
milk --- calcium, vitamin D and riboflavin, an essential b vitamin.”

In addition, while soymilk is not naturally sweet like cow’s milk, it is typically is flavored with 
sucrose or dextrose, neither of which causes the digestive problems associated with cow’s milk.

Even if the American Soybean Association persuades Congress and the president to accept 
soymilk as an alternative to cow’s milk, the battle will be only half won, Keith said. There is still 
the matter of persuading millions of American school children to use the product.

“Soy already is a staple within Asian cultures, so it’s very likely soymilk will be readily accepted by 
many Asian-American school children,” he said.  “But soymilk is no more a staple of African-
American diets than cow’s milk, so there is no guarantee it’s going to be readily accepted by them 
or by other minority groups who typically don’t consume soy products.  It will all boil down to 
whether they acquire a taste for it and whether they can be persuaded to include it as a regular 
part of their diet.”

Under the American Soybean Association’s proposal, soymilk would not replace milk outright but 
would be included as an additional item.  The Soyfoods Association of North America, which has 
joined the ASA in this lobbying effort, has recommended to the U.S. Department of Agriculture a 
soymilk standard of 7 grams of protein, 300 milligrams of calcium, 100 international units of 
vitamin D and 500 international units of vitamin A per 8-ounce serving.

Congress has deferred decision on this issue until next spring.

[Source: Dr. Robert Keith, Extension Nutritionist and Auburn University Professor of 
Nutrition and Food Science, (334) 844-3273; Writer: Jim Langcuster, Extension 
Communications Specialist, News and Public Affairs, (334) 844-5686.]