The USDA has expanded its Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects, a pilot that provides a dollar-for-dollar match for SNAP participants when purchasing healthy fluid milk options at select food retailers, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.
The USDA gave $3 million to Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute to bring the program to SNAP beneficiaries shopping at 116 additional retail outlets across four states. The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty will continue piloting the HFMIP in 42 Texas and New Jersey stores.
IDFA President, Michael Dykes, praised the efforts.
“IDFA is grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for its continued commitment to HFMIP as an integral part of its overall Nutrition Strategy,” Dykes said in a statement. “We stand ready to support USDA and the Auburn Hunger Solutions Institute in the implementation of the expanded HFMIP program, and we urge the Administration to work with Congress to create a national dairy incentive program in the next Farm Bill.”
The IDFA noted the important role healthy dairy incentives play in improving health outcomes for Americans and highlighted the institute’s background in administering SNAP incentives for purchasing healthy fruits and vegetables. The association spearheaded the milk program’s creation in the 2018 Farm Bill and has continued to collaborate with USDA on growing the effort.
“Expanding the SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects means greater access to affordable, nutritious dairy products for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Dykes. “IDFA congratulates Auburn’s Hunger Solutions Institute and its retail partners on this grant, and we are certain HSI’s expertise with the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program for fruits and vegetables will prove beneficial to finding the best ways for the SNAP program to incentivize nutritious dairy products. We commit to support HSI’s work and the work of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty to make HFMIP pilots successful in more than 150 stores operating the program across 6 states in 2023.”
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