Arla Foods celebrates National School Milk week

A thousand schools have put their hands up for Express milk during National School Milk week held recently.

As well as holding free milk promotion days at 15 schools across the country, Express was delighted that inquiries from others during School Milk Week 2004, on running a milk scheme, topped four figures.

It demonstrates that more teachers and parents accept the health benefits of milk and believe it should be available in the classroom.

According to Tracey Wilson, channel marketing manager for Express, children themselves are opting for a cool third pint of milk.

"It is quite clear that many kids will go for milk even when fizzy drinks and fruit drinks are also available," said Tracey after a School Milk Week promotion day at a school in Manchester.

"We wanted to promote the benefits of sport and milk and encourage more schools to take advantage of the EU subsidised milk scheme," Tracey added.

Express encourages milk drinking by putting in special fridges at schools that take 50 third pints or more a day and by providing cool boxes and ice packs for smaller orders.

School milk facilitators, funded by Express and the Milk Development Council, are now following up the inquiries. Other dairy companies also supported the campaign.

"The response has been very good this year and there is clearly plenty of potential for increasing our business with schools," said Tracey.

"From the schools point of view, milk helps children to concentrate and raises their energy levels. For the pupils, milk brings long-term health benefits."

National School Milk Week held in October aimed to highlight the availability of EU-subsidised milk and improve uptake.

According to industry figures, only around 10 per cent of primary school children are offered a quick and nutritious carton of milk.

School Milk Week also promoted the benefits of active lifestyles by distributing physical education packs to schools.

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.