ShopRite works to improve milk, dairy access with Add Milk! campaign

ShopRite has launched a brand new initiative to help low-income families gain more access to milk and dairy products.

The company recently rolled out its Add Milk! campaign, which runs for a full year and boosts the purchasing power of New Jersey SNAP dollars spent on milk and dairy products and to help shoppers purchase more nutritious food, the retailer said.

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Add Milk! Is a pilot program of Baylor University’s collaborative on hunger and poverty, which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

 “USDA is committed to prioritizing nutrition security – which includes consistent access to healthy, affordable foods and beverages that promote good health, such as milk,” said Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for USDA’s Food Nutrition and Consumer Services. “This innovative program is an excellent example of collaborative action with our partners that uses incentives to encourage SNAP households to purchase and consume more milk — a win-win for promoting healthy diets and supporting American agriculture.”

The program works by generating a paper coupon for every skim milk or 1% milk that consumers purchase with an EBT. The coupon can be used on another dairy purchase and any dairy product that lists fluid cow’s milk of cream as the first ingredient, including yogurt and cheese, can be redeemed, the company said.

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“ShopRite is proud to take part in a program that helps families get the food they want and need for their families,” said Neil Greenstein, owner and operator of the ShopRite of Newark, a participant in  Add Milk!  and the setting for the recent kick-off of the program “We know that milk and dairy provide important and essential nutrients for children, and we believe the Add Milk! incentive will make it easier for families, especially those struggling with food insecurity, to access those important foods.”

ShopRite stores in New Jersey that will be participating in the program include the cities of Newark, East Orange, Kearny and Hillside.

“Milk is one of our healthiest, safest, and most sustainable beverages – and it is essential for a child’s development,” said Lori Kanitz, project director at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. “The Add Milk! Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive program could not come at a better time. With families feeling the pinch of rising prices and the lingering effects of the pandemic, the USDA’s commitment to keeping kids healthy through the Add Milk! program makes milk more affordable for those who need it most.”

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Through this initiative, Add Milk! is planning to help increase the purchase and consumption of fluid cow’s milk, which can aid in promoting proper child brain and bone development, provide a natural source of protein and help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, the company said.