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A checkoff-led pilot in Cincinnati colleges that supplied lactose-free chocolate milk elevated consumption and reached college students who weren’t consuming milk due to actual or perceived lactose intolerance.
Nationwide Dairy Council (NDC) and American Dairy Affiliation Mideast labored with Cincinnati Public Colleges (CPS) to supply the nation’s first single-serve lactose-free chocolate milk package deal to 6 elementary and 4 excessive colleges within the fourth quarter of 2023. Due to the programme’s success, it was expanded to incorporate all 15 CPS excessive colleges by June of this 12 months.
Key findings of the pilot had been that when college students have the choice to decide on lactose-free milk, each milk choice and meal participation enhance general. When in comparison with the remainder of the Cincinnati district, the pilot colleges skilled a 16-percent enhance in milk consumption and 7-percent increased meal participation.
Tracy Enslen, vice chairman of enterprise growth for American Dairy Affiliation Mideast, stated the pilot proved how assembly unmet demand with revolutionary choices can drive consumption.
“College students needed to drink milk however the milk being supplied was not what they may eat, so assembly unmet demand was the spark,” Enslen stated. “Most of the college students simply walked by the milk daily and needed to decide up water or juice as their beverage possibility.
“This programme is providing each pupil, no matter their demographic or socioeconomic standing, the chance to have milk, and we’re filling the hole the place they now can get the 13 important vitamins they want as they develop.”
Lisa Hatch, vice chairman of enterprise growth for NDC’s college channel, stated whereas milk consumption elevated, milk waste seems to have decreased in the course of the pilot.
“We’re listening to from college foodservice employees and from children who weren’t taking milk beforehand that not solely are they selecting milk, however extra of them are additionally ending the container, so waste seems to have gone down,” Hatch stated. “We traditionally have seen highschool children go away the milk class at increased charges than youthful college students, however this pilot is bringing many again.”
NDC and CPS will current the findings of this pilot throughout a College Vitamin Affiliation (SNA) webinar in June. SNA is knowledgeable group representing almost 50,000 members who present high-quality, low-cost meals to college students in U.S. colleges.
Enslen’s hope is that this system’s success catches on elsewhere throughout the nation with colleges and processors. She pointed to the success of lactose-free dairy on the nationwide retail degree the place quantity is up 11.4 % by 14 April in comparison with the identical interval of 2023.
“In an ideal world, my hope is that each fluid milk processor understands the chance to drive extra milk consumption in colleges with a lactose-free possibility, the identical product they’re already providing at retail,” Enslen stated. “I’d prefer to see extra selection supplied in colleges, so college students received’t should assume twice about consuming milk.”
To be taught extra in regards to the dairy checkoff, go to www.usdairy.com.
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