MilkSplash Donates Over 350,000 Bottles of Product to National Food Banks

X5LH8ufXCONCORD, N.C., Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — MilkSplash™, the milk flavoring for parents who want their kids to drink more milk and make healthier beverage choices, is donating more than 350,000 bottles of the milk enhancer to food banks in seven key metropolitan areas throughout the country, including Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Houston.

Created by North Carolina-based S&D Beverage Innovations, MilkSplash has zero calories and comes in six different flavors, encouraging kids to drink their milk and more of it.  The company is donating its product to food banks in an effort to encourage individuals and other corporate partners to give milk to food banks this time of year. Through its support of The Great American Milk Drive, MilkSplash hopes to bring attention to the need for nutrient-rich milk in food banks across the country. The Great American Milk Drive is the first-ever nationwide program to encourage consumers to donate milk to hungry families. Donations made at MilkLife.com/give are directed to food banks in each donor’s local community.

“Many people don’t know that food banks have refrigeration capabilities and so when they clean out their pantries and give to food banks, they often donate foods such as soups, cereal, rice and macaroni and cheese,” said Ron Hinson, president & CEO of S&D Coffee & Tea. “Those foods are important and will never be turned away, but kids need milk, too, as part of a healthy diet, and so we’re hoping that by donating our product to food banks we can encourage folks to donate the milk to go along with MilkSplash.”

A glass of milk contains three of the four nutrients the USDA deems under-consumed by most Americans – calcium, vitamin D and potassium. And, according to the National Dairy Council, children do not get enough milk and dairy products daily.  The fact is milk consumption falls short of daily recommendations by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Furthermore, milk contributes the most essential vitamins and minerals to children’s nutrient intakes compared to other beverages.

“Milk is in short supply among America’s food banks – it is desperately needed, but seldom donated. Of the 37 million food bank clients Feeding America serves, they get an average of just one gallon of nutrient-rich milk per person per year,” said Jean Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, President of National Dairy Council.

MilkSplash is donating 50,000 bottles to food banks in Houston, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Atlanta, and Miami and 60,000 bottles to the food bank in Minneapolis.

The Great American Milk Drive is the first-ever nationwide, multi-year program that inspires people to donate nutrient-rich milk to hungry families. This is an opportunity to address the growing epidemic of food insecurity while shining a spotlight on milk’s vital nutrient contributions, such as protein, calcium, potassium and vitamin D,” Ragalie-Carr said.

Through the end of this year, The Great American Milk Drive will match donations made at MilkLife.com/give, making milk gallons multiply at local food banks this holiday season.

About S&D Beverage Innovations, LLC.
MilkSplash was created by S&D Beverage Innovations, LLC, a division of S&D Coffee, Inc., the nation’s largest custom coffee roaster and blender of iced tea for the foodservice industry. Founded in 1927 and based in Concord, N.C., near Charlotte, S&D holds the highest certified designations in global quality and food safety, and counts a multitude of the world’s best-known foodservice organizations as its customers. A team of talented and experienced food scientists and marketers drives new product development for S&D Beverage Innovations.

More information may be obtained by contacting Kathy Geller Myers, 717.903.3716; Kathy@chatterboxcomm.biz; Heather Zell, 717.805.7419; heather@chatterboxcomm.biz or by visiting MilkSplash at http://milksplash.mediaroom.com.