Milk carton shortage impacts school cafeterias in Philadelphia and across the nation

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Those small half-pint milk cartons that are served in millions of school cafeterias are quickly becoming scarce in some districts, including Philadelphia.

Officials say that is due to supply chain issues with the small cardboard packaging.

School District of Philadelphia officials say they are bracing for the impact.

"The carton manufacturers at this point are limiting production to half-pint sizes to 1% milk, and half-pint fat-free chocolate. So, we're not going to be offering strawberry milk at this point, and that's fat-free," said Monique Braxton, a school spokesperson.

Braxton says this is due to a packaging shortage. The manufacturers are now prioritizing 1% milk and fat-free chocolate milk.

In Pennsylvania, schools are required to serve milk.

Philadelphia school district officials say 314,000 flavored and unflavored cartons of milk are distributed to schools every week.

Now, they are working with vendors like the American Dairy Association, the state and more on what's next if this becomes an extended issue.

If that were to happen it wouldn't just be Philadelphia schools, this could impact schools nationwide.

Meanwhile, the USDA is loosening some of the rules that require schools to serve milk.