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Trends & possibilities school milk still a hit - Elopak

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News aNd views from elopak´s world of packagiNg – 03.2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong><br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong>


World School Milk day<br />

Building foundations for future dairy markets<br />

Since the launch of World School Milk Day in 2000 by the Food and Agriculture<br />

Organization of the United Nations, over 70 countries have taken part in activities.<br />

The UN’s Michael Griffin who was involved with the<br />

launch of World School Milk Day told Elotalk that, “The<br />

international open event was set up by the FAO to help<br />

promote the idea that <strong>milk</strong> is good for kids, and it was<br />

first launched via a <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> email network and has<br />

sinc e grown by this means and via the internet.”<br />

World School Milk Day always falls on the last Wednesday<br />

in September, chosen because <strong>school</strong>s are open in<br />

most countries at this time. It is an open event and<br />

people are free to celebrate how they wish which has<br />

included over the last ten years such as:<br />

• Australia ran the ‘Milk It’ competition for primary<br />

<strong>school</strong> kids to create a cartoon character to illustrate<br />

why drinking <strong>milk</strong> is great<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong><br />

Published by <strong>Elopak</strong> AS Group Headquarters.<br />

Postbox 418 Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway.<br />

Tel: +47 31 27 10 00, Fax: +47 31 27 15 00<br />

Editor: Jutta Pinnerød<br />

Research: Stephanie Sergeant, Caroline Sephton<br />

Layout, Prepress and Print: Kampen Grafisk as.<br />

June 2011<br />

• Kids in South Korea made a map of the world<br />

entirely from <strong>milk</strong> cartoons<br />

• The Danish School Milk Scheme invited all<br />

650,000 <strong>school</strong> children to enter photo competition<br />

for WSM<br />

• In Pakistan, WSMD has been celebrated in a day<br />

long carnival attended by 24,000 people<br />

• In Singapore, kids drank <strong>milk</strong> together on WSMD to<br />

raise $32,000 for charity<br />

• In Croatia, kids designed posters about why they like<br />

drinking <strong>milk</strong><br />

Content Page Page<br />

World School Milk day 3<br />

Success for Reid’s 4<br />

Promoting better Child Health 6<br />

School Milk goes Green in uk 8<br />

School Milk: a point of view 10<br />

Polish School Milk:<br />

15 years and 15 dairies<br />

Printed on 100% recycled paper<br />

MILJØMERKET<br />

241 Trykksak 625<br />

14


Drawing attention to <strong>milk</strong><br />

The aim of WSMD is to have a particular day when<br />

attention is focussed on <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> to promote the<br />

distribution of <strong>milk</strong> in <strong>school</strong>s. “World School Milk Day is<br />

an open day – people are free to celebrate how they<br />

wish and they can be at a national or regional level, and<br />

even just for individual <strong>school</strong>s or classes. Some<br />

countries have started in a small way and have organised<br />

larger events every year. Big or small, all have a common<br />

goal: to draw attention to <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> and thereby<br />

promote its consumption,” says Michael Griffin.<br />

“The FAO has been pleased by the successful uptake of<br />

the idea, the internet has provided the perfect vehicle to<br />

share events and experiences from around the world,”<br />

adds Michael Griffin.<br />

“By creating demand, <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> programmes can<br />

directly benefit dairy development. In Japan, for<br />

example, a <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> programme helped increase its<br />

annual <strong>milk</strong> consumption from 5litres/person at the start<br />

of 60s to 80 litres today. Imagine if the same result was<br />

achieved in China?”<br />

Creating habits for future consumers<br />

“School <strong>milk</strong> is not an easy market, but from the industry<br />

as a whole it has to acknowledge that <strong>school</strong> children<br />

are tomorrow’s consumers. One of the aims of WSMD<br />

and also World Milk Day which is held in June is to help<br />

develop the habit of <strong>milk</strong> consumption in children. If<br />

children do not grow up drinking <strong>milk</strong> or eating dairy<br />

products, they are not going to do so in later life when<br />

they are consumers.” concludes FAO’s Michael Griffin.<br />

With this in mind, and the facts that <strong>milk</strong> is considered a<br />

necessary component of a child’s diet, <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong><br />

represents an important vehicle for <strong>milk</strong> promotion.<br />

So, what can you do to support the 12th World Milk<br />

School Milk Day, Wednesday September 28, 2011?<br />

Interested in joining the FAO <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> email list<br />

or finding out more?<br />

Then contact: School-Milk-Owner@fao.org<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

3


Success for Reid’s<br />

A fresh twist on School Milk<br />

The Canadian dairy has almost doubled its shipments of <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong>, with a little help<br />

from <strong>Elopak</strong>. Age-group targeted packaging has allowed Reid’s Dairy to gain market<br />

share from larger competition with volume more than doubling since its 2007 launch.<br />

The success of the <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> has even led to increased sales of other Reid’s Dairy<br />

products.<br />

Jason Giuliani, Director of Sales at <strong>Elopak</strong> Canada Inc.<br />

says, “Kids really appreciate the Mini Diamond Curve®<br />

carton and it has been a huge success since the launch.<br />

The 250ml size is targeted at children in elementary<br />

<strong>school</strong>s and the 500ml size is aimed at teenagers in<br />

high <strong>school</strong>s. The 500ml is an ‘on-the-go’ pack. We<br />

found that children and teenagers do not consume all<br />

the chocolate <strong>milk</strong> in a single occasion. They prefer to<br />

‘travel’ with this package. For example, by consuming<br />

some before their soccer and finishing their drink after<br />

the game.”<br />

4 3 – 2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong>


Twist & Go appreciated by all markets<br />

He continues, “The Mini Diamond Curve® has a<br />

membrane-free closure which is easy to open – just twist<br />

and go. We found that <strong>school</strong> teachers appreciated not<br />

having to open a whole class worth of <strong>milk</strong> cartons. It’s<br />

very popular in hospitals also – nurses do not have to<br />

help patients open their cartons.”<br />

Volume increased beyond expectations!<br />

Launched back in May 2007 and packaged in 250ml<br />

and 500ml Mini Diamond Curve® cartons, Reid’s range<br />

of <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong>s comes in skimmed, 2%, 1% and chocolate<br />

flavour. Volumes have grown significantly and have<br />

allowed Reid’s to increase its market share.<br />

Jason says, “In Canada many <strong>school</strong>s have banned<br />

sodas which has presented opportunities for Reid’s<br />

unique products, particularly in Ontario <strong>school</strong>s.”<br />

kids clear about messages<br />

Reid’s based its marketing campaign for the <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong><br />

products on the results of market research with <strong>school</strong><br />

children. The children responded with a clear message<br />

- they wanted to be seen as ‘real people’ and not just as<br />

kids. Reid’s therefore incorporated designs onto the<br />

cartons such as skateboarders and soccer players, to<br />

relate directly to kids’ sporty, on-the-go lifestyles.<br />

‘vibrant’ and ‘fresh’ say kids<br />

In seminars, kids gave the Mini Diamond Curve® carton<br />

top marks, declaring it ‘vibrant’, ‘fresh’ and ‘healthy,’ with<br />

the cap and resealability getting a strong positive<br />

response. In addition, the dairy itself has achieved real<br />

brand-value through a strategic and creative use of the<br />

curved panel.<br />

Based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, Reid’s<br />

Dairy serves the Central and Eastern<br />

Ontario area. This independent and familyrun<br />

business was established back in the<br />

1960s by Arthur Quickert - a dairyman,<br />

who immigrated to Canada from war-torn<br />

Germany.<br />

For more information about the <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> project<br />

contact Jason Giuliani at our office in Canada; jason.<br />

giuliani@elopak.com and see our customers website;<br />

www.reidsdairy.com<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

5


Promoting better<br />

Child Health<br />

Across the globe, <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> is seen as a positive asset to a child’s daily diet. The United<br />

Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation reinforces this. It reveals that more than 50%<br />

of member countries have national nutritional guidelines specifying daily recommended<br />

levels of <strong>milk</strong> consumption for children. (1).<br />

In the UK, Dr Rosemary Leonard, BBC Breakfast’s<br />

resident doctor and ‘Cool Milk’ Medical Advisor, says,<br />

“Milk and dairy produce are the best ways of boosting<br />

calcium intake. 90% of the adult skeleton is formed by<br />

the age of 18. Even earlier in girls. If a child doesn’t<br />

have enough dietary calcium then he or she will be at<br />

risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. Most<br />

common in women, it also affects one in 12 men. It’s<br />

important that young boys get enough calcium.” (2).<br />

She continues, “Alternatively, you need to eat an awful<br />

lot of green vegetables to get a decent amount of<br />

calcium. To get the same as one glass of semi-skimmed<br />

<strong>milk</strong> you need to eat 11 standard servings of spinach or<br />

four servings of broccoli – which is a challenge for an<br />

adult, let alone a small child!” (2).<br />

Increase Iodine intake<br />

According to the World Health Organisation, iodine<br />

deficiency is the most common cause of preventable<br />

mental impairment worldwide, affecting a third of the<br />

world’s population. It also causes thyroid problems. (3).<br />

In <strong>school</strong> children it is linked to poor <strong>school</strong> performance,<br />

reduced intellectual ability, and impaired work<br />

capacity. Between 10 and 15 IQ points may be lost.<br />

Many experts say the problem can be rectified by<br />

children drinking more <strong>milk</strong>, which is a good source of<br />

iodine. (3).<br />

Dr Vanderpump who conducted a 2011 deficiency study<br />

on behalf of the British Thyroid Association, says,<br />

“Historically, half of our dietary iodine intake has come<br />

from <strong>milk</strong>, “One cup of <strong>milk</strong> gives you about 50% of your<br />

daily iodine needs. Tests on <strong>milk</strong> show that its composition<br />

has not really changed but children may be drinking<br />

less <strong>milk</strong> than before. That’s what we suspect. Cutbacks<br />

in free <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> have not helped matters.” (4).<br />

NZ reduction in adult colon cancer<br />

According to a new study from New Zealand, consumption<br />

of <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> is also associated with a reduction in<br />

adult colon cancer. Scientists from the University of<br />

Otago Medical School investigated whether participation<br />

in the New Zealand <strong>milk</strong>-in-<strong>school</strong>s program had led to<br />

decreased rates of colon cancer. (5).<br />

From 1937 to 1967, the government-funded program<br />

provided one half-pint (284 ml) of full-cream <strong>milk</strong> free each<br />

day to <strong>school</strong> children in New Zealand. This study compared<br />

562 cases and 571 controls from that period. (5).<br />

Findings suggest that participation in <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong><br />

programs was associated with 30% lower chance of<br />

getting bowel cancer. Results were also more significant<br />

for those who consumed more <strong>milk</strong>. (5).<br />

Appealing to teenage girls<br />

DairyCo (formerly the Milk Development Council) is a non<br />

commercial, not-for-profit organisation currently supporting<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> across Great Britain. Regular campaigns<br />

target current issues, including one recently aimed at<br />

teenage girls who have a tendency not to drink <strong>milk</strong> due to<br />

the misconception that it has a high fat content. (6).<br />

In reality, whole <strong>milk</strong> is only 3.9% fat, semi-skimmed <strong>milk</strong><br />

only 1.7% fat, and skimmed <strong>milk</strong> only 0.03% fat. Milk also<br />

provides protein for growth and repair, Vitamin B12 for<br />

red blood cells, iodine for growth, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)<br />

for healthy skin and carbohydrate for energy. (7).<br />

The campaign focused on specific benefits such as<br />

helping hair to be shiny and included posters in fashion<br />

stores and television advertisements during the airing of<br />

the reality TV show, ‘Big Brother’. Other recent<br />

campaigns have promoted the benefits of <strong>milk</strong> and<br />

cereals together, as part of a balanced diet - encouraging<br />

<strong>school</strong>s to run breakfast clubs. (8).<br />

6 3 – 2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong>


Sources:<br />

(1). ‘The Importance of Milk in Schools’, Report by Michael Griffiths,<br />

Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations, delivered at<br />

‘Yes to Milk’, Pan-American Milk Consumer Campaign, 2010. See:<br />

http://www.sialaleche.org/pdf/Michael_Griffin.pdf<br />

(2). Cool Milk at School. ‘Ask Dr Rosemary…’ Advice on a variety of<br />

health issues. See: http://www.cool<strong>milk</strong>.com/cms/index.<br />

php?q=node/116<br />

(3). ‘Iodine Deficiency in Europe: A continuing Public Health Problem’,<br />

Report by the World Health Authority (WHO). See: http://www.<br />

who.int/nutrition/publications/iodine_defiency_pub/en/<br />

(4). ‘Worrying levels of iodine deficiency in the UK’, by Michelle<br />

Roberts Health reporter, BBC News, 12th April 2011. See: http://<br />

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13034582<br />

(5). ‘School Milk Consumption could reduce Adult Colon Cancer’. New<br />

Zealand Study appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology.<br />

See: http://www.21food.com/news/detail32403.html<br />

12th February 2011.<br />

(6). ‘Dairy products and teenage health’, BBC News, 29th March 2010.<br />

See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8594015.stm<br />

Also, ‘Important nutrients in childhood and adolescence’, DairyCo,<br />

The Dairy Council. See: http://www.<strong>milk</strong>.co.uk/page.<br />

aspx?intPageID=111 and http://www.<strong>milk</strong>link.com/newsdetail.<br />

aspx?id=149<br />

(7). ‘The Health Benefits of Semi-Skimmed Milk’. Report by DairyCo,<br />

The Dairy Council. Originally published, 11th June 2009. See:<br />

http://www.dairyco.net/library/<strong>school</strong>-<strong>milk</strong>/health/the-healthbenefits-of-semi-skimmed-<strong>milk</strong>.aspx<br />

(8). ‘Start your own breakfast club’. DairyCo. Breakfast Club Download<br />

Pack. See:<br />

http://www.dairyco.org.uk/library/<strong>school</strong>-<strong>milk</strong>/breakfast-club.aspx<br />

Find more information about <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> programs<br />

on www.elopak.com<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

7


School Milk<br />

goes Green in uk<br />

Fresh Pastures Dairy in Yorkshire, UK, is the first ‘Community Interest Company’ of<br />

its kind in Europe. The Wakefield-based social enterprise dairy was founded in 2006<br />

by Graham Morley and his wife Sharyn to provide <strong>milk</strong> to <strong>school</strong>s, but also to provide<br />

job opportunities for the long-term unemployed and those with physical and mental<br />

disabilities.<br />

Fresh Pastures CIC takes an innovative approach.<br />

Graham Morley, Managing Director and Co-Founder,<br />

says, “The <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> scheme is such a valuable part of<br />

<strong>school</strong> life and has been proven to improve concentration<br />

in class. Through our products and our website<br />

www.freshpasturescic.co.uk we educate young people<br />

on healthy living, good dietary planning plus environmental<br />

issues, social inclusion, and equal opportunity<br />

disability awareness. We also accommodate <strong>school</strong><br />

visits and have a viewing platform where pupils can<br />

come along to watch the carton filling process.”<br />

Providing healthier futures<br />

He continues, “We are not just providing a ‘carton of<br />

<strong>milk</strong>’, we are providing healthier futures. A socially<br />

responsible firm, we also believe in fun! We want to<br />

engage our young audience in a way they can understand<br />

and enjoy. That’s why we built our website.”<br />

Initially, Fresh Pastures were managing just two contracts<br />

for local authorities, supplying <strong>milk</strong> to 270 <strong>school</strong>s.<br />

Today, Fresh Pastures CIC delivers 150,000 products<br />

from around 200 different product lines to circa 3,100<br />

establishments every day, using vehicles that meet the<br />

8 3 – 2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong>


Euro 5 European Union emissions standards. The<br />

company is moving towards all its <strong>milk</strong> being supplied by<br />

Yorkshire farms by the end of the year.<br />

<strong>Elopak</strong> worked with Fresh Pastures to design its 200ml<br />

Mini Pure-Pak® cartons. Clarabelle the cartoon cow<br />

communicates health benefits such as, ‘Drink all your<br />

<strong>milk</strong> so you have strong bones and teeth.’ Any profits go<br />

into community projects or are put back into the<br />

company.<br />

Teaching <strong>school</strong>s to recycle<br />

Graham Morley is a pioneer of carton recycling and<br />

works with <strong>school</strong>s to raise children’s awareness. All<br />

cartons feature educational messages about how to<br />

recycle and why we should help the planet. A new<br />

collection scheme is saving upwards of five tonnes of<br />

waste per week.<br />

“We have a holistic view of how we wish to develop.<br />

Schools are happy with our strong cartons that are made<br />

from high quality paper fibres with a Low Density Polyethylene<br />

lining. We have a system in place that collects<br />

cartons which then go into the ACE recycling scheme.<br />

We make every effort to promote recycling of as much of<br />

our packaging as possible. We are steadily rolling out<br />

our collection service throughout the areas we deliver to,<br />

with plans to expand in the future,” says Graham Morley.<br />

Mark Eaves, Market Unit Manager UK & Ireland, <strong>Elopak</strong><br />

says, “The market for <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> cartons is rising each<br />

year as the ability to widely recycle cartons has now<br />

been established and Local Authorities can more easily<br />

grant contracts to suppliers like Fresh Pastures who are<br />

using the more environmentally friendly paper-based<br />

packages. Made from renewable materials (mainly wood<br />

from well managed forests), having a low carbon<br />

footprint and being easy to recycle are all winning<br />

features when it comes to comparing the paper-based<br />

<strong>milk</strong> carton with other <strong>milk</strong> packaging systems. We are<br />

very active in supporting the work of our customers. We<br />

also work closely with Dairy Co – the non-profit<br />

organisation supporting GB <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong>. We will<br />

continue to help our customers respond to this growing<br />

market with innovative and creative solutions.”<br />

For more information about the project contact <strong>Elopak</strong><br />

Market Unit Manager Mark Eaves at our office in<br />

Manchester; mark.eaves@elopak.com, and visit the<br />

website of our customer www.freshpasturescic.co.uk or<br />

the <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> program; www.<strong>school</strong><strong>milk</strong>.co.uk<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

9


School Milk: a point of view<br />

People who know me, and have read my editorial columns in Dairy Innovation magazine<br />

and, before that, in Milk Industry magazine, will know that I get rather passionate about<br />

School Milk and School Milk schemes.<br />

So why?<br />

Well it certainly isn’t from my experience of having <strong>milk</strong> at<br />

<strong>school</strong> when I was a youngster. I was one of those<br />

children living in that era when <strong>milk</strong> was delivered to your<br />

<strong>school</strong> early in the morning and left out in the playground<br />

in full summer sunshine – so when it was time for your<br />

morning break the <strong>milk</strong> was nice and warm, and very<br />

much ‘off’. Some people will tell you the experience<br />

turned them off <strong>milk</strong> for life.<br />

One of the key reasons I support School Milk is that,<br />

despite what the anti-<strong>milk</strong> lobby and the dairy detractors<br />

claim, I believe <strong>milk</strong> is good for you – an important part<br />

of a healthy balanced diet. It is especially good for<br />

growing youngsters and teenagers. And it is not just the<br />

calcium for strong teeth and sturdy bones. One of my<br />

favourite advertisements was one from the Dairy Council<br />

in England in the 1980s that featured a pint glass <strong>milk</strong><br />

bottle that was filled with coloured layers of tablets.<br />

These were labelled to illustrate the phenomenal range<br />

of vitamins, minerals and other ingredients that <strong>milk</strong> had<br />

to offer. The headline read: It’s a wonder there’s any<br />

room for the <strong>milk</strong>.<br />

Written by Geoff Platt; Editor of Dairy Innovation magazine<br />

It is an amazing range of good things, good things that<br />

are so often ignored in the debate about fat and the<br />

drive, in some quarters, to remove just about every gram<br />

of fat from our diets.<br />

There has been lots of research to show the value of this<br />

daily drink in keeping children bright and alert, increasing<br />

concentration and helping them to get through the<br />

day.<br />

School <strong>milk</strong> programmes and <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> subsidies can,<br />

of course, be very political issues in some countries.<br />

Schemes are not always easy to set up or administer and<br />

it is always easy to find reasons why we should not do it.<br />

Some dairies companies, I suspect, regard it as a bit of<br />

an inconvenience – something that does not add a great<br />

deal to ‘the bottom line’.<br />

While that may be true in the short term, I believe School<br />

Milk has the potential to bring a long term advantage.<br />

Establishing the <strong>milk</strong> drinking habit in those early years<br />

can help establish an important habit in childhood that<br />

* As a keen supporter of School Milk and a<br />

regular contributor to the business-based<br />

social networking site LinkedIn I launched<br />

the School Milk Network group on LinkedIn<br />

last year. It is open to everyone who is<br />

involved in <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> and <strong>school</strong> meal<br />

schemes or supports the <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> idea –<br />

dairy farmers, dairy processors, members<br />

of dairy organisations, nutritionists, dairy<br />

industry suppliers, people from government<br />

departments and NGOs that work on<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> projects.<br />

If you are a member of the LinkedIn<br />

community, then why not join the School<br />

Milk Network?<br />

10 3 – 2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong>


will be taken into adulthood and will stay with that person<br />

throughout their life and will have positive implications for<br />

the future of the dairy industry.<br />

In many countries, the development of <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong><br />

programmes has been associated with the growth of the<br />

national dairy industry.<br />

A survey by the Food & Agriculture Office of the United<br />

Nations showed that the importance of <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong><br />

within a national liquid market varies from country to<br />

country. In some countries it can account for as much as<br />

25%. This figure seems to drop quite markedly in some<br />

of what we describe as ‘developed’ countries.<br />

In reporting School Milk activities, it is heart-warming to<br />

see the efforts being taken by governments in ‘developing’<br />

countries to expand and improve their School Milk<br />

schemes – or introduce them for the first time. I can’t<br />

help but ask why is it that the developing countries often<br />

put the developed countries to shame?<br />

A major part of reporting School Milk activities centres<br />

around World School Milk Day – an initiative started by<br />

the FAO a decade ago, when School Milk is celebrated<br />

around the world on the last Wednesday in September<br />

each year. It is great to see the variety of activities and<br />

initiatives that take place and the way that so many<br />

people are involved. And it is great when dairy industry<br />

suppliers like <strong>Elopak</strong> support that initiative.<br />

In my editorial column, when we launched Dairy<br />

Innovation magazine in 2005, I said School Milk was a<br />

subject the industry ignored at its peril.<br />

I <strong>still</strong> believe that today.<br />

Geoff Platt has been reporting and writing about<br />

the dairy industry since the early 1980s.<br />

In 1999 he joined the staff of the National<br />

Dairymen’s Association as Editor of Milk<br />

Industry. He held that post for the next six<br />

years, during which time the trade organisation<br />

merged with the Dairy Industry Federation to<br />

become the Dairy Industry Association (DIAL)<br />

and then changed again into the industry-wide<br />

body, Dair y UK.<br />

In 2005 Geoff joined Zenith International<br />

Publishing, recently renamed FoodBev Media,<br />

where he helped to launch Dairy Innovation.<br />

Passionate about dairy, and a keen supporter of School Milk, Geoff is a regular speaker at Global<br />

Dairy Congresses and other international dairy events. He is also active on LinkedIn – where he<br />

launched the School Milk Network group - and on Twitter.<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

11


Polish School Milk:<br />

15 years and 15 dairies<br />

1996 saw the very first Polish <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> appear in 250ml Pure-Pak® cartons. <strong>Elopak</strong><br />

was the first company to engage in the <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> program as a private company as<br />

pilot projects were realised in co-operation with three dairies.<br />

Initially two dairies, Spomlek and<br />

Garwolin, began supplying a couple<br />

of Warsaw <strong>school</strong>s without any<br />

external financial support. Following<br />

that, Ciechanów dairy also came on<br />

board. Today, with a total of 15<br />

dairies currently manufacturing<br />

<strong>school</strong> dairy products across Poland,<br />

it’s a sector that’s expanding at pace.<br />

In 2000, the ‘Milk for Schools, Milk<br />

for Health’ Foundation was established,<br />

bringing together a network<br />

of specialists from the nutritional<br />

and technological fields, which<br />

could support <strong>Elopak</strong> in its <strong>school</strong><br />

<strong>milk</strong> activities. Since EU support for<br />

<strong>school</strong> projects was introduced in<br />

2004, more and more dairy<br />

co-operatives have decided to get<br />

involved in the Polish state initiative<br />

called ‘Glass of Milk’.<br />

There are currently three main<br />

products catering for Polish<br />

<strong>school</strong>children. Fresh <strong>milk</strong> and ESL<br />

<strong>milk</strong> are both generally available in<br />

natural, chocolate or vanilla varieties<br />

with 1.5% to 2% fat content.<br />

Drinking yoghurt with a 1.8% fat<br />

content and no artificial ingredients<br />

is also available in a range of<br />

flavours including strawberry,<br />

banana and peach, dependent on<br />

the manufacturer. The products are<br />

all available in 250ml format with<br />

straw, in both Standard Pure-Pak®<br />

cartons and Mini Diamond Pure-<br />

Pak® Curve cartons.<br />

12 3 – 2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong>


Gable-top No.1 for fresh<br />

The gable-top carton resonates<br />

strongly with consumers of fresh<br />

products in Poland. By using the<br />

strapline, ‘Perfect Milk because it’s<br />

fresh’, <strong>school</strong>children are reminded<br />

that they are holding a quality<br />

product in their hands. Because it is<br />

fresh <strong>milk</strong>, it does have to be<br />

delivered more frequently than UHT<br />

<strong>milk</strong>, for example.<br />

Much activity has been undertaken<br />

to promote the ‘Perfect Milk at<br />

School’ program. This has included<br />

the preparation of leaflets, posters,<br />

<strong>school</strong> calendars, a website,<br />

articles and advertisements in the<br />

<strong>school</strong> and educational press,<br />

co-ordination with nutritional<br />

specialists, medical professors and<br />

taking part in teachers’ conferences<br />

and other <strong>school</strong> events.<br />

One of the key messages has been<br />

that by being a part of this initiative,<br />

<strong>school</strong>s are ensuring that their<br />

pupils receive fresh <strong>milk</strong> (and<br />

special dairy products such as 100%<br />

natural yoghurts) – ultimately the<br />

best choice for kids’ health.<br />

Sales soar<br />

Grzegorz Da˛browski <strong>Elopak</strong> Poland,<br />

says, “In the very beginning, gaining<br />

acceptance of the product was very<br />

hard. The main problem was<br />

collecting money for <strong>milk</strong>. <strong>Elopak</strong><br />

organised its first deliveries of<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> in co-operation with<br />

three dairies a long time before<br />

Poland joined the EU. Yet, with the<br />

introduction of state aid in 2007,<br />

sales doubled overnight as w<strong>hit</strong>e<br />

<strong>milk</strong> became free of charge for<br />

primary <strong>school</strong> pupils.”<br />

Annual carton volumes for <strong>school</strong> dairy products in<br />

<strong>Elopak</strong> cartons<br />

2004 5.6 million<br />

2005 14.1 million<br />

2006 23.4 million<br />

2007 53.1 million (state aid introduction)<br />

2008 99.9 million<br />

2009 93.3 million<br />

2010 53 million (following a reduction in state aid)<br />

<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

There are approximately 2,800<br />

<strong>school</strong>s serviced by supply partners<br />

and more than 700 to which dairies<br />

deliver <strong>milk</strong> directly. In total, almost<br />

600,000 pupils drink <strong>milk</strong> in<br />

Pure-Pak® cartons.<br />

The products are delivered to<br />

<strong>school</strong>s on pallets between two and<br />

five times per week. They are<br />

distributed chilled with a shelf-life of<br />

seven days for fresh <strong>milk</strong> and up to<br />

21 days for ESL <strong>milk</strong> and yoghurts.<br />

Today’s products are distributed to<br />

<strong>school</strong>s within the ‘Perfect Milk at<br />

School’ program which encourages<br />

pupils to increase their intake of<br />

natural protein, calcium and vitamins<br />

by consuming fresh and natural<br />

dairy products during their <strong>school</strong><br />

day.<br />

The program is supported by the<br />

State, by the EU and through the<br />

Milk Promotion Found. Currently,<br />

state aid enables natural w<strong>hit</strong>e <strong>milk</strong><br />

to be made available free-of-charge<br />

to primary <strong>school</strong> pupils for up to<br />

three days each week. Flavoured<br />

<strong>milk</strong> costs zł 0.22 PLN per piece<br />

and drinking yoghurt costs zł 0.31<br />

PLN.<br />

13


In other educational establishments,<br />

EU support means that pupils pay zł<br />

0.49 PLN for w<strong>hit</strong>e <strong>milk</strong>, zł 0.71 for<br />

flavoured <strong>milk</strong> and zł 0.80 PLN for<br />

drinking yoghurt.<br />

In kindergartens and secondary<br />

<strong>school</strong>s, thanks to EU support and<br />

the Milk Promotion Found, pupils<br />

have to pay zł 0.28 PLN for w<strong>hit</strong>e<br />

<strong>milk</strong>, zł 0.50 PLN for flavoured <strong>milk</strong><br />

and zł 0.59 PLN for a functional<br />

drinking yoghurt called BiFi.<br />

Hitting store shelves<br />

BiFi functional drinking yoghurt has<br />

been such a success in <strong>school</strong>s that<br />

it has just been launched onto the<br />

general retail market.<br />

The first drinking yoghurt of its kind<br />

in Poland, it is 100% natural,<br />

contains 50% less sugar and has a<br />

low-lactose content. BiFi yoghurt is<br />

so-called because it contains<br />

‘friendly’ Bifidobacterium bacteria,<br />

capable of improving gut health.<br />

<strong>Elopak</strong> Poland worked closely with<br />

its customers to develop a product<br />

that would be as natural and healthy<br />

as possible for <strong>school</strong>s. The project<br />

team decided upon low-lactose <strong>milk</strong><br />

and the recipe was introduced in<br />

three flavours (peach, banana and<br />

strawberry) to five dairies, including<br />

Mlekpol, Mlecz Wolsztyn, Jana<br />

Środa Wielkopolska, SM Gostyń<br />

and ZPJ “MAGDA” Szaflary.<br />

Marketing support activities have<br />

included a BiFi website, product<br />

education through internet quizzes<br />

and a <strong>school</strong>s photography<br />

competition.<br />

As a result of its success, Poland’s<br />

largest dairy, Mlekpol, launched BiFi<br />

onto the retail market in August 2010<br />

and is available mainly in Carrefour<br />

and Real stores. It’s the only<br />

functional drinking yoghurt for people<br />

with lactose intolerance. To cater for<br />

general consumption, an Elo-cap<br />

closure was added to the carton.<br />

The handy mini pack with the larger<br />

cap is an ideal package for the kids<br />

market, and has the added<br />

advantage of already being familiar<br />

to <strong>school</strong> children. Made mainly of<br />

paper the package is also well<br />

recognised as being ecological and<br />

recyclable and can be used for<br />

newspapers, grey paper, board and<br />

furniture. With the lowest CO 2<br />

emission of any package used for<br />

<strong>milk</strong> and dairy products, these<br />

environmental benefits resonate<br />

strongly - particularly with products<br />

for children.<br />

If you would like more information about the product and the Polish market, please contact Grzegorz Da˛browski<br />

at <strong>Elopak</strong>’s office in Poland; grzegorz.dabrowski@elopak.pl<br />

For more information on <strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> in Poland, please visit: http://www.mlekowszkole.pl/ or http://www.bifi.pl/<br />

or http://arr.gov.pl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=697&Itemid=535<br />

14 3 – 2011<br />

<strong>Trends</strong> & <strong>possibilities</strong>


<strong>school</strong> <strong>milk</strong> <strong>still</strong> a <strong>hit</strong> 3 – 2011<br />

15


ELOPAK delivers the best packaging solutions for premium brands, enhancing and enriching<br />

consumer experience through functional, emotional and environmental benefits.

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