NY schools work to address milk carton shortage

By Blake Jackson

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS AGM) and the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) are working together to address a nationwide shortage of packaging paperboard that is impacting school milk programs.

The NYS AGM is working to ensure that New York dairy farmers have a market for their milk and is actively sharing information with the State’s milk processors to find alternative solutions to fill the demand for the packaging paperboard on a temporary, as-needed basis. NYS AGM is also coordinating with the International Dairy Foods Association, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Northeast Dairy Foods Association to find additional packaging that may be available and ways to escalate the approval of alternative packaging. This will help ensure students are still receiving the nutrition they need through milk during their school day.

The NYSED has released temporary guidance to assist the School Food Authorities (SFA) that are not able to obtain milk in half pints for their school meals programs during this time. Although schools are expected to meet the fluid milk requirements to the greatest extent possible, the disruptions that limit milk variety or affect serving size are currently considered a temporary emergency condition. Guidance by NYSED was sent to the School Food Service Directors and Managers earlier this week, outlining steps that can be taken regarding the Child Nutrition Program Administration:

SFAs are allowed to serve and claim meals during the emergency period by:

• pouring milk from larger containers into individual cups,
• offering one type of milk instead of a variety,
• offering an alternate form of fluid milk such as low-fat or fat-free lactose-free milk or reduced-lactose fluid milk, or
• as a last resort, not offer fluid milk altogether.

The Department also advised that juice cannot be offered in place of the milk component. SFAs must still adhere to the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal requirement that no more than half of the fruit or vegetable offerings may be in the form of juice.

The Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations, Northeast Dairy Producers Association, and New York Farm Bureau are all working with the NYS AGM and NYSED to address the issue. They are hopeful that by working together they can ensure that students continue to have access to nutritious milk during the school day.

The full guidance can be found here: https://www.cn.nysed.gov/content/allowable-flexibilities-school-meal-programs-experiencing-milk-supply-shortages

SFAs with any questions about the guidance can reach out to CN@nysed.gov.

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