Lab talk: something about milk and cookies

Dairy Foods, Dec, 2002 by Donna Berry

There's something about milk and cookies, especially those left by the fireplace on Christmas Eve night for Santa to snack on after he drops off toys for the kiddies. Did you ever notice? It's always white milk!

White milk (at least with cookies and breakfast cereal) still reigns with most children of Santa-believing age. However, it doesn't take long for young kids to learn that there are beverages other than the infamous "ba ba" (a bottle or sippy cup filled with white milk). Thankfully, dairy processors now offer white milk alternatives in the form of flavored milk. And it's not just chocolate and strawberry. There's cookies and cream, orange cream, root beer float, vanilla and more.

There's something that these flavored milk marketers are overlooking, and it's not visual stimuli like colors and characters and cool packages and catchy merchandising materials. Most marketers are addressing these features quite nicely. Nor are they missing the boat on taste, as most flavored milks get a thumbs up by both kids and parents. What they are missing is the element of interactivity that kids, particularly young ones who are always eager to help in the kitchen, want with their food. And if milk marketers play this out right, they will also be teaching kids that the basis of these drinks is wholesome and healthful white milk.

Yogurt makers know about flavors and interactivity. They have sweetened and flavored kids yogurt, and tossed in a bag of sprinkles or cookie spoons to give kids tools to legitimize playing with their food. Can we do the same with milk? After all, kids see us playing with our Starbucks coffee drinks. Not only do we make requests when ordering, then we often go to the condiment counter to mix in our own whitener, sweetener and flavorant.

When the traditional ba ba is not enough for my three-year-old son, we get out the can of Ovaltine, and mix up a "chockie." He also likes "red stuff," which is Strawberry Banana Yo-J and white milk. We use a beaker (remember, I am a food scientist), and measure equal portions of the two. After a quick mix, it's poured into his Monsters Inc., cup.

Here are some milk ingredient interactivity ideas to ponder.

At the recent InterBev show in Atlanta, plastic straw supplier Cleveland Tubing Inc. (www.clevelandtubing.com) debuted plastic tube straws that either contain flavoring, glow in the dark, change color or are shaped like various characters, including the NesQuik bunny. Gallon white milk marketers can attract kids to the white stuff by offering a dozen of such straws in a plastic bag hung around the gallon's neck. Or, if straws are not an option, what about flavor packets for mixing into a tall glass of white stuff?

In September I wrote about an aseptic yogurt drink packaged in an octagonal foil barrier box container, which included an attached straw filled with probiotic bacteria. This type of straw could also contain flavoring syrup or colorful crystals--maybe even ones that change color over time.

Whereas interactivity for older kids is less important and coolness is key, there are still ways to attract them to the white stuff.

At the start of this school year, a secondary school in London debuted a milk bar that has pupils going mad for the white stuff. The black and white bar, branded with "the White Stuff" logo, sells plain, chocolate, strawberry and banana flavored milk to pupils. The cold milk is also available through the school's lunch line.

A second generation to this concept could tie in interactivity. Schools have sundae and taco bars. Why not a milk or milkshake bar? Buy a glass of the white stuff, then add flavor, maybe a coffee concentrate, some sweetener, coloring, whipped cream, etc.

Watch out Starbucks, before long you might have a competitor--the Udder Place.