WASHINGTON – Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese would be purchased more often by federal nutrition program participants if they were given a discount or incentive, a new poll from Morning Consult found.

Commissioned by the International Dairy Foods Association, the national tracking poll’s results highlighted that such dairy goods are sought out by people who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Per the polling, among registered voters with children in public schools who participated in at least one federal nutrition feeding program, 93% said they typically purchase milk, 91% typically purchase cheese and 77% typically buy yogurt. The nutrition program beneficiaries who were polled also responded that they consider those products affordable at the grocery store: milk (73%), yogurt (78%) and cheese (74%).

The poll also asked SNAP participants if they would use a 50% discount to buy specific dairy goods. More than half said they would make use of such an incentive to purchase more milk (54%) and cheese (59%), while slightly less than half replied they would use a discount to buy more yogurt (49%).

Conducted online between Sept. 1-6, the poll had a sample of 1,666 registered voters with children in public schools, and 709 of them participate in at least one federal nutrition feeding program. Per Morning Consult, the survey has a margin of error of plus- or minus-2 percentage points.

“This new polling data highlights just how impactful a national dairy incentive program would be for our nation’s most nutritionally insecure people,” said IDFA president and chief executive officer Michael Dykes. “IDFA and our members are committed to ending hunger and malnutrition while improving health outcomes and reducing diet-related chronic diseases by making it easier for all Americans to access healthy, affordable foods, including nutritious dairy products.”

IDFA published the poll results ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, on Sept. 28. The Biden-Harris administration is hosting the event, which focuses on the federal government’s role in ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030.

Over the course of the past few months, the IDFA has recommended adding a national dairy incentive program for SNAP participants. Per the IDFA, it has submitted a number of comments to the White House that highlight the benefits of expanding nutrition incentive programs that incorporate healthy dairy goods.

More information from the poll can be found online at the IDFA website.