By Ching Yuen, staff writer
Carton milk will no longer be supplied by the cafeteria during lunch after a new milk dispenser was installed in the cafeteria on Friday February 24. These dispensers will be placed in all middle & high school SFUSD schools to cut down on waste & provide better quality milk for the students. Now if students want to get milk, they can ask for a plastic cup from the lunch staff to use at the new machine.
“The carton milks are more expensive and take up more space. If milk isn’t consumed and the temperature is high, we waste a lot of milk. We also heard from students that they don’t like milk cartons so the addition of the machine will ensure consistent quality,” according to Alex Greenwald, a staffer from SFUSD Student Nutrition Services, who came to check out the new dispenser at Galileo.
“It is important to keep the machine plugged in because the refrigerator inside keeps the milk between 30F to 40F, “ Greenwald noted, adding, “This means that each milk box can be used until its expiration date.”
Another big advantage for students using the dispenser is that they are able to get as many refills as they want, whereas with the cartons, students were only allowed one per person. “As long as the milk is not being wasted and the purpose of getting more refills is to consume it, it is our mission to get students to drink more milk,” Greenwald said.
While there are obvious advantages with the dispenser, some students think there are more negatives than positives. Freshman Jeffrey W. has concerns about the use of plastic cups. He said, “I think it’s [the dispenser is] a bad idea and we should use carton milk because we are wasting plastic by using cups.” Sophomore Jumah G. also points out the line at the milk dispenser: “It is more tedious instead of grabbing a carton…because people take too long.”
However, other people see different positive aspects of the new dispenser. Junior Dulce S. enjoys the new milk taste that is helped by getting it from the dispenser. She says, “The milk is more healthy. It is organic. I think it’s the milk. The cup is plastic but the flavor is good.” Cafeteria staff Jorge M. shares the same opinion: “It surprised me. I thought it would have no flavor in the milk. But it tastes better than regular milk cartons. Hopefully students like it. It is also 1 percent fat so it’s healthier.”
