Why Milk Has the White Stuff for Children

Letter to the Editor
From CHARLES HOLT, The Farm Consultancy Group
The Lincolnshire Echo (UK)
February 8, 2006

I Felt compelled to write and address what I consider to be misinformed statements in "Health and ethics say don't foist milk on schoolchildren" (Your View, January 25). "Over-consumption of dairy products leads to calcium leaching out from bones" Milk is not an acidic food and does not lead to calcium leaching. Milk contains calcium, essential for healthy bones. In addition, it contains magnesium and phosphorus, which are also bone-building minerals.

"Antibiotics in milk"

When cows are given antibiotics to treat illness, by law the milk they produce must be withheld from the bulk supply for a certain amount of time to ensure that their milk is free from antibiotics. Samples of milk are taken from farms and routinely tested and anyone failing the test can be subject to a heavy financial penalty. Additional testing is carried out when tankers of milk arrive at dairies for processing. In rare cases when any antibiotics are detected in the milk, the whole tanker load is destroyed and the source can be traced back to the individual farm.

"Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)"

IGF-1 plays an important role in growth in childhood and continues its involvement in the normal activities associated with the growth and repair of healthy body tissues in adults. IGF-1 is therefore produced naturally by humans. Cows' milk is only a minor source of IGF-1. In addition, this hormone is similar in structure to insulin which cannot be given by mouth because it is digested and inactivated. It is unlikely therefore that any of the very small amount of IGF-1 in milk will ever survive digestion.

"Cow health on farms"

It is simply wrong to state "There are 20-60 cases of mastitis per 100 cows at any one time." There are not. If there were, then 20-60 per cent of milk produced would have to be thrown away each day, which is patently not the case. Mastitis milk is unsaleable. Furthermore, lameness does not affect 20 per cent of cows at any given time. It is nothing like as bad as that. No farmer wants his cows to be lame as the cow suffers, their production drops and it is an expensive disease to treat. Therefore, farmers work very hard at preventing lameness.

"Lactose intolerance"

Only a very small minority of children have lactose intolerance. Scientific studies have shown that even those who are lactose intolerant can drink milk with a meal and eat cheese and some yoghurt without any ill effects.

"Other food sources of calcium"

While many foods contain both protein and calcium, the protein in milk is of very high quality and the calcium in milk is present in a form that is easily absorbed by the body. In addition, milk provides a host of other nutrients including riboflavin, a group vitamin which many children are lacking.

"Removing milk from schools"

In a nation where many teenagers are not getting enough calcium and rates of osteoporosis are on the increase, it is ill-advised to suggest that milk should be removed from schools.

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