Arla offers free milk at food banks across the UK
© Arla The UK’s largest dairy co-operative Arla has launched a free dairy vending machine in North London as part of a wider initiative to provide dairy products to more than 100 UK food banks.
Arla and charity FareShare surveyed 8,000 food banks and found that fresh dairy products were consistently some of the most sought after items.
However, a lack of storage facilities and fridge space meant sites were not able to store enough to match needs.
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To help tackle this issue, Arla has pledged to provide 100 fully stocked fridges to charities across the UK.
Arla senior vice-president Jonathan Dixon said: “We are on a mission to enhance the accessibility of nutritious dairy products for communities across the UK.
“Too many charities have to turn away fresh dairy donations because they have nowhere to store it, but by working with FareShare we hope to overcome that.”
Arla research suggested that almost 90% of UK adults consider dairy to be important to their diet, however 65% believe there is a lack of understanding around its health advantages.
Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine, at Nics Nutrition, supported Arla’s initiative to provide increased access to dairy products.
She said: “A 200ml glass of milk provides protein, as well as the minerals calcium and iodine too, so regular consumption can help ensure we meet our daily needs for these particular nutrients.”
FareShare head of external affairs Ben Ashmore said: “Our charities report that the demand for nutritious dairy products is increasing, but many lack the infrastructure to store refrigerated items safely.
“Thanks to Arla’s generous commitment to donating fridges to charities across the UK, many of these organisations can now offer a more varied range of nutritious food.”