Wisconsin lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit all schools in the dairy state from serving margarine instead of butter in school lunches.
Co-authors Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, who both grew up on Wisconsin farms, argued schools should use butter to support local farms and the state’s dairy industry.
“After attending a local Farm Bureau meeting, I was shocked to hear a local school was no longer serving butter with lunches, but instead an artificial alternative with a long list of ingredients,” Novak said in a statement.
The legislation would give farmers another market to sell their products. Markelin said serving margarine is unacceptable considering Wisconsin’s long history of supporting the dairy industry.
“This common-sense legislation recognizes the hard work of our farmers and aligns our school districts with this provision in state law,” Marklein said in a statement.
Butter is made with milk or cream while margarine is a mixture of various oils, water and skimmed milk. Margarine has a higher unsaturated fat content compared to butter. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The legislation is similar to an existing statute that prohibits substituting margarine for table butter to students or inmates and patients in a state institution. It also outlaws the substitution in restaurants, unless a customer requests it.
Parents and guardians would need to provide a doctor’s note to exempt their child from the policy under the current proposal.
University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore Nathan Jahn from Menomonee Falls has lactose intolerant family members, so he grew up eating margarine. He thinks families shouldn’t have to prove dairy intolerance.
“I don’t think you should have to provide documentation, that is over-involvement from the government,” Jahn said.
The bill was referred to the committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs on Nov. 14 and is now awaiting a public hearing.
