"Super Healthy Milk"

Reading University have recently released more research on the beneficial properties of Milk including evidence on how milk proteins could help older people maintain muscle mass, and epidemiological links between dairy products and vascular disease reduction.   Also discussed was the research into how changing the diets of dairy cows could change the types of fat in milk and reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, thereby helping to tackle global warming.

Many dairy cows are fed on a diet including palm oil, which is responsible for much destruction of rainforests globally, particularly in areas such as Borneo.  Also palm oil which features heavily in everything from chocolate biscuits to fish fingers to pizzas and pasties, is high in heart damaging saturated fat.

Following on from this research, Marks and Spencer have relaunched their regular milk to ensure that is comes from cows fed only a natural diet removing palm oil from the cow's feed.  According to M&S this will result in 6% less saturated fat in their milk. M&S said the diet improved cow health and welfare, while also being better for the environment.  Curiously and disappointly, however according to thier Food Team, M&S organic milk comes from cows that have palm oil in their food and they have no plans to change.

This leaves those of us wanting to purchase healthy milk with the least chemicals and the highest levels of animal welfare in rather a quandry, should we be purchasing this new palm oil free, lower saturated fat milk or Organic milk?

For now I am opting for the palm oil free milk but hope that Marks and Spencers soon see sense and roll this out across their organic range of milk also.