New Look of School Milk Michigan Success Stories
“Our district started using the 8-ounce milk in plastic bottles in September 2008 for our secondary schools. Right from the start it created a buzz of excitement. Our sale of milk is up about 10 percent. At our Alternative High School, the sale of milk is up about 20%, which caused us to have a cooler space shortage. Thankfully, UDIM stepped in and is providing us with a new milk cooler. For two years, I was reluctant to start using the plastic because I thought that recycling would be a big issue in my district. I am happy to report that I haven’t had one question or concern about the recycling. Students and staff are just happy to be drinking colder, more flavorful milk. I am sorry I waited so long to start.”
-Janet Allen, SNS, Clarkston Community Schools Nutrition Supervisor and SNAM President-Elect
“The New Look of School Milk has been very successful in the Saginaw Township Community Schools. Milk consumption has increased. Kids find the bottles more attractive and easier to open than the old traditional milk cartons. Many students take milk with their lunch and purchase an extra.”
Deborah Neal, Nutrition Services Supervisor, Saginaw Township Community Schools
“Today’s healthy lifestyles are beginning to take shape in Oxford, and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan is helping. When we switched from milk in cartons to milk in cool plastic bottles, they provided us with a grant to replace our age-old milk coolers with beautiful new coolers that keep the milk colder and more palatable. What a difference! Now, students are responding by choosing milk, in fact 117 more per day, as part of their daily nourishment.”
Karen Bisset, Director of Nutrition Services, Oxford Community Schools
“Since implementing milk in plastic, we have seen an increase in our reimbursable meals. Many more students are coming through the lunch lines with milk on their tray. They are very excited about the bottled milk because it tastes better and looks classier. Even the teachers have commented on how much better they like it! We also have seen an increase in the number of ala carte milks being sold. Our middle school alone is purchasing about 3 more cases of milk daily than they were with the cartons.”
Susan Meyer, Food Service Director, Byron Center Public Schools
“The new milk program is absolutely fabulous! Kids are going bonkers drinking this milk! We fill our coolers to the brim 3 times per week now. Our new coolers are keeping it nice and cold. Students are gobbling up the strawberry milk! It is really a phenomenal success story. I can’t thank UDIM enough. It’s tremendous! Kids are drinking more milk and they are going to have better bone density because of it.”
Maureen Murphy, RN School Nurse, Detroit Edison Public School Academy
“The kids love the milk in the plastic bottles! They said it tastes better, it’s colder, and the bottles are easier to open. Our lunch participation has increased by 14 percent this year. Thank you for the plastic bottles. The New Look of School Milk markets itself!
-Katie McConkie, Director of Food Services, Lamphere Schools, Madison Heights, MI
“I just love my new counter-top glass door milk cooler! As the kids come through the line every day, they grab a couple 8-ounce plastic bottles of milk and talk about how cool it looks. The students say they’re drinking more milk now that it’s ice-cold.”
-Michelle Dunn, Foodservice Director, Hudson Area Schools, Hudson, MI
“Ice-cold milk served in plastic containers from our new ‘cool’ refrigerated units has made milk a big hit with our students. We’ve had tremendous success, including a 22 percent increase in Meal Deal sales. Kids reach for the ‘new look’ and get a bottle full of nutrition.”
-Marge Ales, Foodservice Director, Oakland Christian School, Auburn Hills, MI
“Adopting the New Look of School Milk was a great move for our district. The new cooler equipment has spruced up our serving lines and students seem to be drinking more milk now than when we served milk in cartons. I believe the overall benefits, such as getting more calcium into our students, will be even greater in the long run and worth the little bit of extra cost.”
-Denise Knight, Foodservice Director, St. Johns Public Schools, St.Johns, MI
“From 2006 to 2007, milk sales rose 10 percent in our senior high school, 20% in our junior high, and 10% in one of our elementary schools. The strawberry milk is especially popular. To keep up, we doubled the milk stock at both high school snack bars. I asked a few high school students how they like the ‘new look’ of milk--they really like the new packaging because it’s much easier to open and they don't need straws.It’s wonderful to see our students take milk from our new milk coolers and actually drink it! Thank you!”
-Aurora Anstelt, Foodservice Supervisor, Holt Public Schools, Holt, MI
To read more success stories or to share your New Look of School Milk story check-out: www.mihealthtools.org/schoolsuccess .