St. Louis, MO – Prairie Farms Dairy today announced the launch of its new flavored school milk products. Chocolate milk is the flavor-of-choice for students and is a healthy alternative to sodas and fruit juices. Prairie Farms has taken the best and made it better by reformulating chocolate milk into a fat-free, lower sugar product.
The new flavored milk formulations are available in Chocolate, Strawberry, Cookies’N Cream, Vanilla and have:
- No High Fructose Corn Syrup
- No Artificial Sweeteners
- No Artificial Growth Hormones
- Less Added Sugar
- Fewer Calories
- Zero Percent Fat
Since the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act was signed into law last December; Prairie Farms has worked aggressively to improve the formulations used for flavored milk sold in schools. “Our customers asked and we delivered,” said Rebecca Leinenbach, Sales Program Director, Prairie Farms Dairy. “The new formulation is a direct result of ongoing conversations with school food service professionals about the stricter standards for school meals that will take effect in the 2012/2013 school year.” Coming in a year ahead of the new USDA regulations, the new fat-free chocolate milk contains only 130 calories per 8 ounce serving and only 11 grams of added sugar compared to the previous one percent chocolate milk formulation with 170 calories and 16 grams of added sugar. The new fat-free flavors also meet the Healthier US School Challenge (HUSSC) Guidelines and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Beverage Guidelines.
To gauge student appeal for the new chocolate milk formulation, Prairie Farms participated in a series of student taste and sensory tests sponsored by Dairy Management, Inc. The product performed very well with overall liking scores in the 70’s which is in the “Excellent” range of test norms. Not only is the chocolate milk kid tested and approved, it also ranks high on the list of nutritional food choices endorsed by health professionals. Margie Cook Graham, Registered Dietician, St. Louis Dairy Council, spoke enthusiastically about Prairie Farms flavored milk, “The new line offers a definite win:win. With less fat and fewer calories than before, schools can feel good about its superior nutrient package; and the kid-approved flavors will help students get the nutrients that are vital to their growth and development. Flavored milk is just as nutritious as white milk; it provides the same nine essential nutrients and flavored milk accounts for only three percent of total sugar in children’s diets.”
Due to concerns about childhood obesity, some schools have made the decision to remove chocolate and other flavored milk from the cafeteria. Even though the bans have been well-intentioned, they have done more nutritional harm than good. In fact, a recent study reveals that when schools remove or limit flavored milk, consumption dropped by an average of 35 percent. According to interviews conducted by KRC Research, most moms (80 percent) do not support the removal of chocolate milk from lunch lines and school cafeterias and more than three-quarters of moms agree that: chocolate milk is a beverage their child likes to drink; kids need healthy choices at school, including chocolate milk; and children should be able to choose which beverage to drink at school.
Prairie Farms Dairy is an established industry leader and is owned by 820 farm families who work hard every day to provide the most nutritious, high quality and delicious products available in the market place. Prairie Farms proudly serves 1000’s of schools throughout the Midwest and the new flavored milk products are sure to please parents and students alike.
About Prairie Farms Dairy
Headquartered in Carlinville, IL, Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative. Founded in 1938, Prairie Farms manufactures and distributes a complete line of fluid milk and dairy products throughout the Midwest to retail outlets, schools and food service outlets. http://www.prairiefarms.com.
Source: Prairie Farms Dairy
