In the U.S. last year, the National School Lunch Program fed over 29.4 million children on a typical school day. Despite this program’s extensive reach, there are currently no quality standards for the meat and seafood that actually goes into these lunches.

That means any meat or seafood products—many of which may be laden with antibiotics and fillers—are able to be served to over 29 million American children each day.   

Why this matters: Students who eat more nutritious meals at school are proven to have improved academic performance, better attendance, and fewer behavioral issues. Plus, higher-quality meat has increased nutrient density, which is essential to support brain and muscle growth, bone strength, and energy production. 

Not only that, but higher-quality meat raised without antibiotics actually helps protect public health by reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance.

As it currently stands, most animals raised for meat are pumped with antibiotics—not to treat illness, but to increase growth rates. This can lead to increased antibiotic resistance, or bacteria that are no longer responsive to antibiotics, not only in animals, but also in humans.

The result of this can include increased illness, mortality, inability to treat disease, and inability to perform routine surgeries in both children and adults.

In other words, these essential programs are feeding the future of America—but they’re in need of major improvements.

Let’s level set here: It’s important to note that over the past decade, school meals have improved, in large part due to the tireless efforts of advocates, parents, and school meal providers. In 2024, the USDA, who oversees the National School Lunch Program, made a few crucial updates to its standards, which will hopefully help reduce added sugars and sodium, as well as increase fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 

Despite some progress, urgent and essential reforms are still needed to ensure our children receive the nutritious, high-quality food they deserve every single day. 

Our Ask 
ButcherBox—alongside the Chef Ann Foundation, Little Sesame, Serenity Kids, and other industry leaders—knows that we can and must do better than this in our childrens’ meals.

To ensure that school meals are safe, support public health by not exacerbating the antimicrobial resistance crisis, and deliver high-quality protein, we urge USDA Secretary Rollins to: 

1. Implement clear standards for meat and seafood in these programs similar to the progress already made with whole grains, vegetables, and other key nutritional priorities.
2. Prohibit the use of meat in school lunch programs that is produced with antibiotics.

We are demanding better for our cafeterias, and our reasoning is simple: Millions of American children and their parents are trusting school meals to fuel their families. By instating quality standards for meat and seafood in school lunches, we can secure better health outcomes for not just these students, but also the generations that will follow.

Join us by signing this petition and investing in our childrens’ futures. 
 
About ButcherBox 
Founded in 2015, ButcherBox is the leading direct-to-consumer meat and seafood brand that delivers high-quality, humanely raised meat and sustainably sourced seafood directly to consumers' doorsteps. As a certified B-Corp, its mission is simple: Bring better meat and seafood to every table—including the cafeteria table. Learn more about ButcherBox’s work here.