People all around the world have been drinking milk for centuries now, be it for health or taste. Often referred to as mankind’s first probiotic, people are once again beginning to respect and appreciate dairy considering the numerous health benefits that one can get from it. In history dairy items such as cheese and butter were placed on altars of worship showing the reverence that people had for it, and today it has continued to successfully maintain that position in people’s hearts and minds. Consumed in the right way milk can be healthy regardless of some negative critiques of it. Health professionals state that the best milk to consume is that which is produced from cows who are fed more grass and less grain. This milk has fat that is very healthy to be consumed. This is important to note as most health issues are caused by sugar and not fat.
While ultra-pasteurized milk has many benefits which have been proved, the taste can never compare to fresh, minimally processed milk. Many mothers today, especially young mothers with young children who have sensitive tongues prefer milk that is taken from cows who consume fresh grass. Industrially produced milk is less common because of the usage of antibiotics and corn and soybeans which are produced with pesticides and herbicides. Two of the most common trends for milk is local, which has a shorter shelf life and less processing and the other has a long shelf life and distribution chains.
Promoting consumption of fluid milk is important as this is when it’s highest value is realized. It will also help to remove long shelf-life, low-value dairy from the industry. Fresh milk is always the best as the only thing that needs to be done is to package it and sell it. Organic dairy is moving toward commodity dairy as consumers prefer minimally processed, non homogenized, 100% grass fed dairy. It will be a wise choice for the dairy industry to follow the lead of these consumers.
There are certain obstacles that are presented while trying to meet the consumers need of fresh milk. Some of these include the high cost of small operations and and the short shelf life of fresh dairy. Overcoming these obstacles will lead to the dairy industry being able to provide healthy and fine tasting milk to consumers. The grocery industry must also make more room in their stores for this fresh minimally processed milk.