Fonterra’s Milk for Schools Programme has boosted the proportion of children meeting national guidelines for dairy consumption by 12%, according to a final report published by the New Zealand dairy company.
The Milk for Schools programme, which was rolled out in 2013 and expanded in 2014, aimed to offer all primary-aged children in New Zealand access to a free serving of low-fat milk every school day. Since the programme began, it has delivered more than 70 million cartons of milk to primary schools throughout the country, including remote communities such as Chatham Island and Great Barrier Island.
Fonterra’s report has shown that the number of children meeting national guidelines for dairy consumption on school days increased from the baseline of 85% to 93% after two years. Children’s weight, height, waist size and BMI scores all increased over the two years – but their zBMI, which takes into account the effects of a child’s development on their BMI, remained stable.
Clare Wall, associate professor in nutrition for the University of Auckland, who conducted the study, explained that the findings show that ‘the programme was associated with a significant improvement in the proportion of children meeting the NZ dietary guidelines for milk and milk product consumption, without a negative impact on zBMI scores’.
New Zealand’s national guideline for dairy consumption for primary school children is between two and three servings per day, with each serving of dairy equalling 250ml of milk or 150g of yogurt. Fonterra said that many children do not meet this target.
The study was conducted among 511 primary-aged children in the baseline year, which fell to 379 participants two years later, although the number of children falling short of the national dairy guideline only fell by two-fifths of that amount in the same period.
Fonterra general manager – nutrition Angela Rowan said: “Traditionally, kids drink less milk as they get older because they start drinking soft drinks and juice. It’s great to see this hasn’t happened in the study – in fact their milk consumption is increasing.
“Through Fonterra Milk for Schools, children’s taste for milk and understanding of the importance of dairy nutrition is resulting in positive choices around what they are drinking.”
The study showed that the number of children consuming the recommended amount of dairy outside of school also increased.
Rowan continued: “One of the most pleasing things we’ve seen is that, along with the extra milk they get at school, they’re choosing to drink milk on the weekends as well – hopefully in preference to sugary drinks.”
Associate professor Wall added: “Dairy can play a vital part in a healthy balanced diet and research shows that children who consume milk and dairy products have improved bone and dental health.
“It is good to see through Fonterra Milk for Schools that these children are enjoying having dairy regularly at an age where they are forming habits that can last them a lifetime.”
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