What’s in a name

The news that the European Union will continue to uphold dairy terms such as milk, butter, whey and yogurt for animal-based milk products, was a source of joy to the European Dairy Association and other dairy-affiliated organisations, as well as the many thousands of people who spend their lives working to produce dairy products throughout the EU.

I understand why makers of non-dairy and plant-based products want the label of “milk” for their products, as it provides a health and nutrition halo that the word “drink” may not offer. However, it is precisely why these terms should not be affiliated with non-dairy products, as the issue is that non-dairy drinks do not offer the same level of nutrition and health that dairy milks do for consumers, and at a much lower cost.

Without supplementation, it is hard to find a soy, oat, pea, coconut, hemp or almond product with the same level of high quality protein, calcium, vitamins A, B2, B3 and B12, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium as a glass of milk. Not to mention the long list of ingredients needed to make that non-dairy item into a drinkable or spoonable, palatable product, plus added sugar. While all milk needs is a bit of homogenisation and pasteurisation. In these complex times, it’s best to keep things simple, and real milk is that product. Simply nutritious, cheap and full of goodness. Make mine real dairy, thanks.

In other news here at Bell, Dairy Industries International’s 2021 Media Kit, complete with editorial calendar, is now available. Check our website in the next couple of days where it will be uploaded here, or contact our advertising manager, Samantha Bull at [email protected] to receive it straight away.

Samantha will be happy to help you with your advertising needs. As the car maker Henry Ford once said, “Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”

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