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A UK farmer has launched another pro-milk, anti-vegan campaign, in a bid to promote British dairy products.
Mission 4 Milk, which includes the #MilkPintChallenge, was created by Andy Venables who said he was ‘frustrated’ at how poorly milk has been marketed. It follows recent dairy initiative ‘Februdairy‘, the dairy industry’s response to Veganuary, which has so far failed to capture mainstream attention in the same way.
Venables believes the ‘attractive packaging’ used for non-dairy milks like soy and almond are playing a huge role in their appeal to younger people.
Vegan options
“Milk packaging and branding has changed very little over the past 20 years; meanwhile new brands releasing plant-based alternatives, such as soy and almond, clearly display the nutritional benefits of their products on their cartons, along with attractive branding,” he told the Farmers Guardian.
“For this reason, many people are unaware that cow’s milk offers more nutritional value than many of its dairy-free counterparts and are choosing to leave their pint of cow’s milk on the shelf.
“While some people undoubtedly suffer from dairy and lactose-related complications, a large number of those who have given up dairy have done so as a result of self-diagnosis or because it is trendy to do so.
“They do not realize how many valuable nutrients milk contains. Mission 4 Milk’s aim is to communicate the health benefits of milk to people of all ages, arming them with valuable information before choosing to cut dairy out of their diets.”
Vegan milk growth
Venables is correct that an increasing number of consumers are opting for non-dairy milk; the global plant-based milk market is expected to exceed USD 34 Billion by 2024, according to a market research report.
According to the report, there are a number of reasons consumers are opting for plant-based, including increased focus on the ‘healthy diet and nutritional values offered by non-dairy products such as low calories and high proteins and vitamins’.
Lactose intolerant
Additionally, it claims lactose intolerance is a key factor, saying: “Roughly two-thirds of the world’s adult populations are lactose-intolerant.
“In Asia and Africa, the figure is around 90 percent.
“Thus, an increasing number of consumers are choosing non-dairy milk and products which are lactose-free because of its benefits over conventional milk.”
