Paper milk cartons get bad rap in dairy marketing study.

It is widely accepted that drinking milk has significant health benefits-especially for children. However, there is growing concern about the findings of a 2002 study conducted by the National Dairy Council (NDC), which points to plastic packaging as the key to increasing young peoples' milk consumption. Acting on the incomplete conclusions of this study might unnecessarily milk school systems' already-stretched budgets.

The 2002 NDC report concludes that milk consumption increased 18 percent in school meal programs when an enhanced product was offered. These results are encouraging in the context of nutritional habits of young people. However, the report does not accurately evaluate the role of packaging in school lunch programs and unfairly attributes this increase to plastic packaging. While the consumption of milk in plastic containers did increase in this study, a deeper look into the methodology yields that the students were offered enhanced products in plastic containers, with no equivalent offering in paper containers. Overall, the introduction of new flavored milk products had the strongest impact on the test results over any other variable in increasing milk consumption among young people.

It should also be noted that the study sample was biased towards schools that were willing and able to make a significant investment in improving distribution and vending systems. A majority of schools, especially in lower income communities, cannot obtain budget approval for these types of cost increases. Study results do not account for the novelty of new product offerings, such as those in the plastic containers, which may account for the increase in consumption, especially if there is no price premium for the new product.

Finally, the cost implications should be considered. Plastic milk bottles are 2-3 times more expensive than paper cartons. Given this significant price difference, it is questionable whether schools will be able to maintain the current flat pricing scheme, especially since it is tied to reimbursement programs that affect total school budgets.

Based on the results of the NDC research, out of a total of 113,000 primary and secondary schools in the U.S., only 1,200 schools nationwide have switched to plastic packaging for milk in school meal programs. Is the system getting milked when it builds school meal program offerings around these one-sided and questionable research conclusions? The paper industry and its members are conducting a joint analysis with the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) this spring to examine all the variables and financial implications of different milk offerings to school meal programs. These research results will be made available to schools and school systems for use in the identification and implementation of programs that effectively and economically increase milk consumption.

About the Author. Dr. Cathy Foley is the Paper Group Vice President for the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).

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