World Milk Day: Experts say milk essential to ending malnutrition

Dairy contains 18 out of 22 nutrients needed for daily consumption.

LAHORE: Milk contains essential vitamins and minerals. It can resolve the problem of malnutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice Chancellor Talat Naseer Pasha said on Monday.

He was addressing an event organised at the university on the World Milk Day.

“On this day, we have to make people realise how important milk is for their health. It contains 18 out of the 22 nutrients needed for human consumption. It has vitamins A, D and B12, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and proteins. Studies have shown that a low intake of milk or milk-related products increases the risk of osteoporosis and causes calcium deficiency, obesity and tooth decay,” he said.

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) President Dr Ashraf Nizami said that mother’s milk was necessary for a child’s healthy growth. “Powdered milk is quickly replacing mother’s milk. This needs to be discouraged. People should adopt an active lifestyle to lead healthy lives,” he said.

Nizami congratulated the UVAS faculty and students on being ranked among the top 10 universities of the country.

The event saw active participation by students, who highlighted the importance of milk through a play on the difference between pasteurised and non-pasteurised milk. This was followed by recitation of humorous poetry.

Expressing his views regarding the importance of safe milk, Fahad Maral, the Tetra Pak, Pakistan, communications manager said, “People should always use packaged milk. Its six protective layers help preserve milk in its natural state.”

He said that packed milk underwent UHT treatment. “Milk is exposed to temperatures of around 135°C for 3 to 4 seconds. Then it is cooled rapidly. This effectively eliminates virtually all bacteria, while maintaining the nutritional values,” he said.

The event concluded with a walk to highlight the significance of the day.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.