The small, half-pint cartons of milk served in millions of school lunches across the country could soon be in short supply in some cafeterias, and districts across the country are scrambling to find alternatives.
The problem is not a shortage of milk itself, but the cartons used to package and serve it, according to dairy industry suppliers and state officials.
Pactiv Evergreen of Lake Forest, Illinois, which calls itself “the leading manufacturer of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America,” acknowledged in a statement Friday that it “continues to face significantly higher than projected demand” for its packaging. milk.
The shortage is impacting the company’s ability to “fully supply some school milk orders,” according to Matt Herrick, a spokesman for the International Dairy Foods Association.
School officials in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Washington state said they were preparing for shortages, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture acknowledged the supply chain problem affects “multiple states.” .
A cafeteria manager sorts individual milk cartons in the cafeteria at Belmont Senior High in Los Angeles, California, on May 3, 2011.AP
In California, state education officials told schools to be flexible in how they offer milk to children, including limiting milk options; use boxed and shelf-stable milk; and milk supply through bulk dispensers.
The cardboard shortage, which could also affect milk and juice served in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, has forced officials across the country to think about backup plans.
In Clarence, New York, local school district officials told parents they plan to provide “small water bottles or milk cups with lids” if cartons run out.
The shortage is affecting the company’s ability to “fully supply some school milk orders,” a spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association said.
In Lake Stevens, Washington, 40 miles from Seattle, chocolate milk was missing from this week’s dairy delivery, said Jayme Taylor, communications director for the local school district.
“That is the only complaint we received from students,” he said in an email.
Milk is required to be served with school meals, but USDA Food and Nutrition Service officials issued a memo late last month allowing districts to serve different types or sizes of milk during supply shortages, or skip the milk completely.
The cardboard shortage, which could also affect milk and juice served in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, has forced officials across the country to think about backup plans.
It’s unclear how long the cardboard shortage could last. In Everett, Washington, school officials told parents to expect a disruption in milk supplies in the cafeteria that could “last several months.”
Herrick said U.S. milk processors are working with other package suppliers to resolve the shortage. He said he hoped the problem would improve within weeks and be resolved early next year.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn