Evaluating the nutritional, environmental, and economic impacts of fluid milk waste in a universal-free Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program

Background: In 2013 the USDA designated research on National School Meal Program food waste as a US Food Waste Challenge priority. Yet research on food waste in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is limited.

Objectives: To directly measure aviodable fluid milk waste in a low-income, racially/ethnically diverse, public elementary school district’s universal-free, Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) SBP; assess its nutritional, environmental, and economic impact and, determine whether factors at the individual, classroom and school-level predict the amount of milk wasted.

Methods: Milk waste will be directly measured across 3 days in 14 third-grade classrooms. The volume of waste will be translated into nutrition, economic, and environmental costs. Hierarchical linear regression models will determine whether the quantity of milk wasted varies by student, classroom, and/or school level variables.

Results: The volume of milk waste (fl oz) will be expressed as a mean proportion of milk offered and served. The nutritional cost of milk waste will be expressed as the absolute proportion of nutrients wasted and relative to SBP meal requirements (mg calcium, mg potassium, IU vitamin D); The financial cost ($) will be calculated using schools’ purchasing and waste disposal records; and the environmental cost will be expressed in as greenhouse gas emissions (kgCO₂e) and water footprint (liters) associated with its production and disposal.

Conclusion:  It is anticipated that fluid milk waste the Program will translate into meaningful nutritional, economic, and environmental impacts. Findings will inform SBP policies at the district and national level to mitigate its occurrence and impact.