Italian Dairy Leader Sticks Up For Milk

ITALY – Milk is not something to fear but something to celebrate, according to an Italian dairy leader who says six billion people cannot do without it.
calendar icon 16 May 2014
clock icon 1 minute read

Liquid milk receives criticism on environmental, animal welfare and nutritional grounds but much of the fears are unfounded, according to Italian Association of Dairy Milk (ASSOLATTE) President Adriano Hribal.

This week Mr Hribal has championed dairy produce and dismissed many of the arguments against milk as ‘nonsense’.

“We read so much in the media that milk is bad and that humans are strange for drinking milk after weaning,” he said.

“Some of the most aggressive statements are around food safety, saying milk contains pus, hormones and antibiotics.”

He added that environmental arguments dismiss dairy production as an emitter of carbon dioxide and say grain and water fed to cows should go straight into human diets.

However, Mr Hribal sees milk as an ‘outstanding’ food source, integral to much of the world’s culture and rural economies.

Around six billion people have dairy in their diet and half a billion people have a livelihood from breeding dairy animals, he added.

“Subsistence herding ensures income for producers in developing countries,” added Mr Hribal. “Milk should be preserved on a world heritage list.”

Michael Priestley

Michael Priestley
News Team - Editor

Mainly production and market stories on ruminants sector. Works closely with sustainability consultants at FAI Farms

 
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