School milk consumption has decreased by 0.6 percent this year from 2010. From 2009 to 2010, it decreased by 2.1 percent, according to an annual survey conducted by MilkPEP.

In addition, the consumption of flavored milk has declined – chocolate declined by 0.8 percent, strawberry by 23.9 percent and all other flavors by 7.8 percent.

Through Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and other dairy industry organizations, there are numerous initiatives under way to combat these declines in consumption, including working with milk processors to reformulate flavored school milk to reduce sugar and overall calories.

Over the past five years, processors have reduced the calories in flavored milk by 38 percent, according to MilkPEP. PD

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—From Dairy Farmers of America's DFA Today newsletter