Dairy for children

Two news items this week caught my eye: one was about the School Milk Scheme in the European Union, and the other about Arla Food’ seminar on using dairy ingredients to fight against moderate malnutrition in Africa. What dairy naysayers often forget is that one of the reasons dairy is such a special food is that it is a nutritional bundle of vitamins and minerals. The fractionation of whey products just means that there is more scope for dairy products to make a difference to children all over the world, without worries about keeping the chill chain entire.

Meanwhile, six out of 11 EU-approved children health claims on normal growth and development of bone can be made by certain milks, yogurts and cheeses. These are facts that we should continue to promote, and that’s why the EU should make sure the education of children about dairy should continue. Good work on the European Dairy Association’s drive to keep these at the top of the European Commission’s agenda, and good work, Arla Food Ingredients.