Florida’s Board of Education has made a move to ban flavored milk and other high-sugar drinks from the school lunch line. These drinks, consumed by thousands of children a day, contribute to excess calories and sugar and excessive consumption can lead to chronic health problems, including obesity and diabetes.

But the incoming Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam, is telling the Board of Education to hold off on the ban. Why? He wants to weigh in on the decision.

But Putnam is not without ties to the industry. His political campaign received thousands of dollars from the dairy industry and his department is in charge of promoting agricultural products, including dairy. When an industry both promotes a product and sets dietary guidelines for it, there’s a major conflict of interest.

Chocolate and flavored milks contain more than five teaspoons of sugar -- almost the same amount as a cup of soda. The amount of sugar exceeds the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit for children aged 4 to 8.

There's no reason for schools to promote and sell highly-sweetened beverages. And the dairy industry shouldn't be dictating what our children consume. Tell incoming Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam that the Florida Board of Education should be allowed to proceed with their ban on flavored milks and other high-sugar drinks in schools. 

Photo credit: eelke dekker