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ShopRite gives SNAP families more dairy buying power

USDA-backed ‘Add Milk!’ pilot kicks off at stores in New Jersey

Russell Redman

July 5, 2022

4 Min Read
ShopRite-SNAP Add Milk campaign signs.png
Under the Add Milk! incentive program, for each dollar spent on dairy items, ShopRite SNAP customers a $1 coupon to use on their next dairy purchase lists fluid cow’s milk or cream as a first ingredient.ShopRite

ShopRite has launched a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded incentive program at selected stores to boost low-income families’ access to milk and dairy products.

Called “Add Milk!,” the campaign augments the purchasing power of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dollars that SNAP recipients spend on milk and other dairy products. The initiative is being piloted by Baylor University’s Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty with support from the USDA.

Add Milk! works as follows: When ShopRite SNAP customers buy skim or 1% milk with their electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, a dollar paper coupon is generated for each dollar spent. The coupon then can be used on their next dairy purchase, and any dairy product can be redeemed that lists fluid cow’s milk or cream as a first ingredient, such as yogurt and cheese.

ShopRite of Newark NJ-Add Milk campaign launch.JPG

Lori Kanitz of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty (2nd from left), ShopRite of Newark owner Neil Greenstein (center, left), Michael Dykes of the International Dairy Foods Association (center, right) and Jennifer Nelson of the Community Foodbank of New Jersey (2nd from right) at the Add Milk! launch event.

Keasbey, N.J.-based ShopRite noted that Add Milk! can help consumers stretch their dollars to purchase more nutritious foods at a time when price inflation is squeezing families at the grocery store.

In May, the Consumer Price Index for dairy and related products rose 2.9%, its biggest monthly increase since July 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Year over year, dairy pricing was up 11.8% in May.

“ShopRite is proud to take part in a program that helps families get the food they want and need for their families,” Neil Greenstein, owner and operator of the ShopRite of Newark (N.J.), a participant in Add Milk!, said in a statement. Greenstein’s store also served as the setting for the recent kick-off of the campaign. “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,” he added.

Related:Kroger plans new product line from dairy plant expansion

Besides ShopRite of Newark, other stores engaged in the Add Milk! pilot include ShopRite of East Orange, ShopRite of Kearny and ShopRite of Hillside (West Hillside) in New Jersey.

Other ShopRite locations in New Jersey are slated to launch the program later this summer, including stores in Elizabeth, Bayonne, Jersey City and the Columbia Park store in North Bergen.

“USDA is committed to prioritizing nutrition security, which includes consistent access to healthy, affordable foods and beverages that promote good health, such as milk,” stated 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.”

Related:Traditional milk is here to stay in supermarkets

According to the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, 90% of Americans don’t meet the recommended amounts for dairy consumption.

“Milk is one of our healthiest, safest, and most sustainable beverages, and it is essential for a child’s development,” noted Dr. 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.”

Specifically, the Add Milk! effort aims to increase the purchase and consumption of fluid cow’s milk, which promotes proper child brain and bone development, provides a natural source of protein and reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, participants said.

“We applaud the collaboration among USDA, Baylor University and ShopRite to bring healthy, nutritious milk options to SNAP participants in New Jersey as part of the Add Milk! Program,” commented Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, who spoke at ShopRite’s launch of the program. “Milk contributes 13 nutrients to the American diet, including high-quality protein, calcium, vitamin D and potassium, and health benefits including better bone health and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Add Milk! Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive program should be viewed as a positive model for strengthening the health and wellness of children and adults participating in SNAP in cities and states across the country.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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