Keeping Flavored Milk in Schools
The debate over flavored milk in schools is heating up. Schools in Florida are considering the removal of flavored milk while schools in the nation’s capital have already made the decision to no longer offer students chocolate and other flavors.
The debate over flavored milk in schools is heating up. Schools in Florida are considering the removal of flavored milk while schools in the nation’s capital have already made the decision to no longer offer students chocolate and other flavors.
School nutrition directors and administrators expect the number of inquiries to continue to climb as more districts eliminate flavored milk entirely from school lunchrooms.
Processors may be surprised to learn that these are not isolated events; schools across the country receive questions from parents and educators each year about flavored milk. In the past year alone, the number of schools addressing the calorie and sugar levels in flavored milk has increased by 17%. Make no mistake, the issue is receiving more attention and processors must take action now.
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) commissioned a study to determine the impact of eliminating or curtailing chocolate milk in schools. Conducted by Prime Consulting Group, the study found that when flavored milk was not available, milk consumption decreased by 35% and many key nutrients were lost from students’ diets. Replacing milk’s essential nutrients is neither easy nor affordable for schools. The study revealed that three to four different food items would be required to replace the nutrients lost when milk consumption drops off. Not only do these foods add more calories and fat to students’ diet, but the cost to schools is estimated at $2,200 to $4,000 per 100 students each year.
Downloadable education tools
It is estimated that as many as 50% of schools may be addressing whether or not to offer flavored milk in the next year. Recognizing the importance of the issue and its potential impact on milk consumption in schools, MilkPEP developed tools to educate school nutrition professionals and provide the facts about the impact on students’ diets and their budgets. The following tools are available at www.milkpep.org and are easy to download and/or order:
• Flavored Milk Study Fact Sheet is a user-friendly overview of the key facts and figures from the study that support the important role flavored milk plays in students’ nutrition.
• Flavored Milk Brochure reinforces the nutritional benefits of low-fat milk, and uses key facts from the new study to demonstrate the important role flavored milk plays in students’ nutrition.
• Flavored Milk Video brings the flavored milk brochure to life and is a great tool to communicate the role milk, including flavored milk, plays in students’ nutrition.
• Flavored Milk Executive Summary is a two-page handout that provides a detailed overview of the study’s methodology and key findings.
• Flavored Milk PowerPoint Presentation takes an in-depth look at the full study to learn how changes in flavored milk availability impacts milk sales and consumption in schools.
Milk processors must join the debate
With the new MilkPEP tools in hand, processors can play a pivotal role in the flavored milk debate. Just as importantly, schools can use the materials for their own discussions with administrators, school boards and parents. The full study and an abbreviated version can be found at www.milkpep.org.
The study found that 93% of school nutrition directors do not want to reduce or eliminate flavored milk in their schools. Consequently, processors are encouraged to schedule time with school nutrition professionals in their markets to review the study and prepare them for potential questions about flavored milk.
Now is the time for processors to begin discussing flavored milk with school foodservice directors, providing them with the tools and resources necessary for their discussions with parents and administrators who question the need for flavored milk in schools.
The nationwide study, one of the largest of its kind, measured the actual consumption of milk in 58 elementary and secondary schools in seven school districts in the United States that had made the decision to either eliminate chocolate and other flavored milks, or limit the days flavored milk were offered. The participating schools monitored the amount of milk selected by students and measured “plate waste”-the amount of milk thrown away by students at the end of lunch.
Over a three-month period, a total of 700 observation days were monitored. Researchers worked closely with nutrition and foodservice professionals to calculate the nutrients lost as a result of the decline in milk consumption by students and determined what menu changes would be required to compensate for the nutrients lost. Furthermore, the study included a nationwide survey of school nutrition directors to understand their perceptions and attitudes regarding flavored milk. n
Julie Buric is the vice president of marketing at MilkPEP. She can be reached at 202-220-3547 or jburic@milkpep.org. The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) is funded by the nation’s milk processors who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption.
The debate over flavored milk in schools is heating up. Schools in Florida are considering the removal of flavored milk while schools in the nation’s capital have already made the decision to no longer offer students chocolate and other flavors.
School nutrition directors and administrators expect the number of inquiries to continue to climb as more districts eliminate flavored milk entirely from school lunchrooms.
Processors may be surprised to learn that these are not isolated events; schools across the country receive questions from parents and educators each year about flavored milk. In the past year alone, the number of schools addressing the calorie and sugar levels in flavored milk has increased by 17%. Make no mistake, the issue is receiving more attention and processors must take action now.
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) commissioned a study to determine the impact of eliminating or curtailing chocolate milk in schools. Conducted by Prime Consulting Group, the study found that when flavored milk was not available, milk consumption decreased by 35% and many key nutrients were lost from students’ diets. Replacing milk’s essential nutrients is neither easy nor affordable for schools. The study revealed that three to four different food items would be required to replace the nutrients lost when milk consumption drops off. Not only do these foods add more calories and fat to students’ diet, but the cost to schools is estimated at $2,200 to $4,000 per 100 students each year.
Downloadable education tools
It is estimated that as many as 50% of schools may be addressing whether or not to offer flavored milk in the next year. Recognizing the importance of the issue and its potential impact on milk consumption in schools, MilkPEP developed tools to educate school nutrition professionals and provide the facts about the impact on students’ diets and their budgets. The following tools are available at www.milkpep.org and are easy to download and/or order:
• Flavored Milk Study Fact Sheet is a user-friendly overview of the key facts and figures from the study that support the important role flavored milk plays in students’ nutrition.
• Flavored Milk Brochure reinforces the nutritional benefits of low-fat milk, and uses key facts from the new study to demonstrate the important role flavored milk plays in students’ nutrition.
• Flavored Milk Video brings the flavored milk brochure to life and is a great tool to communicate the role milk, including flavored milk, plays in students’ nutrition.
• Flavored Milk Executive Summary is a two-page handout that provides a detailed overview of the study’s methodology and key findings.
• Flavored Milk PowerPoint Presentation takes an in-depth look at the full study to learn how changes in flavored milk availability impacts milk sales and consumption in schools.
Milk processors must join the debate
With the new MilkPEP tools in hand, processors can play a pivotal role in the flavored milk debate. Just as importantly, schools can use the materials for their own discussions with administrators, school boards and parents. The full study and an abbreviated version can be found at www.milkpep.org.
The study found that 93% of school nutrition directors do not want to reduce or eliminate flavored milk in their schools. Consequently, processors are encouraged to schedule time with school nutrition professionals in their markets to review the study and prepare them for potential questions about flavored milk.
Now is the time for processors to begin discussing flavored milk with school foodservice directors, providing them with the tools and resources necessary for their discussions with parents and administrators who question the need for flavored milk in schools.
The nationwide study, one of the largest of its kind, measured the actual consumption of milk in 58 elementary and secondary schools in seven school districts in the United States that had made the decision to either eliminate chocolate and other flavored milks, or limit the days flavored milk were offered. The participating schools monitored the amount of milk selected by students and measured “plate waste”-the amount of milk thrown away by students at the end of lunch.
Over a three-month period, a total of 700 observation days were monitored. Researchers worked closely with nutrition and foodservice professionals to calculate the nutrients lost as a result of the decline in milk consumption by students and determined what menu changes would be required to compensate for the nutrients lost. Furthermore, the study included a nationwide survey of school nutrition directors to understand their perceptions and attitudes regarding flavored milk. n
Julie Buric is the vice president of marketing at MilkPEP. She can be reached at 202-220-3547 or jburic@milkpep.org. The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) is funded by the nation’s milk processors who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
