The US Department of Agriculture is expected to be asked at upcoming consumer input sessions why soy milk has not been included in school lunch choices.
The push for soy milk at schools follows increasing sales of soy products across the US. Included are a growing variety of soyfoods such as soyburgers, soy hotdogs, soy ice cream and other products that appeal particularly to school-age children.
The Agriculture Department previously approved soyburgers as substitutes for regular hamburgers, and the US Food and Drug Administration now permits labels on soyfoods to state that the product can reduce the risk of heart attacks.
According to the Washington Post, the USDA plans ``listening sessions'' across the country later this year as the department prepares for reauthorisation of its National School Lunch programme.
``Any revisions to the school lunch guidelines will go before Congress for approval next year,'' the newspaper reported. Officials will discuss soy milk if it comes up at these sessions, USDA spokeswoman Jean Daniel told the Washington Post.
Daniel, who is director of public affairs for food and nutrition at the Department of Agriculture, said present regulations require that milk be served with school lunches, and if not, the meal is not considered to be reimbursable. Milk is defined as cow's milk, the newspaper said, and added: ``While many school systems would like to offer soy as a choice, the US Department of Agriculture won't reimburse them for it, except in case of medical need.''
Some US school systems depend for more than half of their cafeteria funds from the federally-assisted meal plan, according to the newspaper.
The report added that mainstream researchers and other health advocates say that soy milk does not have the hormones found in cow's milk and is easier for many people, especially minority children, to digest. Medical studies have shown that African Americans, Latinos and Asians ``all have a higher incidence than the general population of lactose intolerance, which means they cannot easily digest cow's milk.''