^{The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.}

School milk sales have declined by more than 1 billion half pints since the 2008-2009 school year. This presents a challenge for both the dairy industry and school districts nationwide as they look to modernize milk while delivering it to students in the most economical, efficient and sustainable way possible. And shelf-stable milk in aseptic cartons allow them to do just that, as the packaging does not require refrigeration until opened, is made from primarily renewable materials, and is recyclable. Not only does the longer shelf life reduce spoilage and waste, but it also means fewer deliveries and reduced costs.

These benefits and more were recently validated by a pilot program with Tetra Pak and the Dallas Independent School District (DISD), Texas’ largest school district, where the use of shelf-stable milk was implemented in nine schools. And the results are inspiring:

• Net milk consumption increased 12%
• Reduced delivery frequency, coupled with shared deliveries, can provide a significant cost reduction. From the results of the DISD pilot study, the district could save $1.5 million per year by switching the entire district to shelf-stable milk.

Overall, shelf-stable milk presents an opportunity for schools to reduce their costs and achieve operational efficiencies, while increasing their sustainability and improving access to safe milk. Would you be interested in learning more about the benefits of shelf stable milk for schools and the success the Dallas Independent School District has already seen in just 4 months? Tetra Pak and Dairy MAX can also speak to what the adoption of shelf-stable can mean for milk processors. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of shelf-stable milk for schools and the success the DISD School District has already seen, please feel free to contact a Tetra Pak representative directly at Ross.peets@tetrapak.com for more information.