Add Milk! SNAP Dairy Incentive Program Expands to Oklahoma

A nutrition incentive program championed by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) to help low-income families purchase healthy fluid milk products is expanding to Oklahoma. The Add Milk! program is being launched in grocery stores to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, when they purchase low-fat or non-fat milk. A community event held at Oasis Fresh Market in Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 22, marked the launch of the HFMI project, Add Milk!, at three Oasis locations in the state.

Add Milk! was established as part of the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) program authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill to help SNAP households purchase more nutrient-dense milk products. IDFA led efforts to secure the creation of HFMI and has since worked with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute and retail partners to expand dairy nutrition incentives nationwide. The program is funded through Congressional appropriations and administered by Auburn HSI in partnership with Oasis Fresh Market, with support from USDA. With the Oklahoma launch, Add Milk! now reaches more than 1,200 stores across 32 states.

“Expanding the SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects means greater access to affordable, nutritious dairy products for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “Consuming milk means consuming 13 essential nutrients leading to healthier immune function, hydration, cognition, mental health, bone health, and a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. During this time of high food costs and rising food insecurity, it’s critical we find ways to stretch SNAP dollars and help families afford more nutrient-dense foods.”

Nearly 695,000 Oklahoma residents —about 1 in 6 people in the state —participate in SNAP. For those families, Add Milk! helps stretch monthly food benefits while making it easier to choose milk, a nutrient-dense food that provides 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, potassium and high-quality protein.

IDFA is encouraging policymakers to build on the success of HFMI by expanding dairy nutrition incentives to more families and more nutritious dairy options. USDA’s current HFMI guidance recognizes unflavored low-fat (1%) and non-fat milk as qualifying fluid milk. IDFA also supports broadening the program through the Farm Bill to provide incentives for nutritious dairy products such as whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk, cheese and yogurt.

The Add Milk! program provides an incentive to SNAP participants through a 1:1 coupon match at checkout when using their EBT card to purchase qualifying fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk products, including lactose-free varieties. Customers can then use the coupon to purchase any SNAP eligible item.

Photos from the event are available by request. More information about Add Milk! can be found at aub.ie/addmilk.