General Info
Milk | The Nutrition Source
Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium. It has an important role in bone health. Nutritionists recommend that people have milk and other dairy products, such as yoghurt and cheese, every day as part of a balanced diet.
World Milk Day is an international day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to celebrate the importance of milk as a global food and to raise awareness about the dairy sector. World Milk Day is celebrated annually on June 1st. It was first designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2001 to highlight the importance of milk as a global food and to celebrate the dairy sector. The day aims to raise awareness about the nutritional value of milk and the importance of the dairy industry in providing livelihoods for millions of people around the world.
Why was World Milk Day created?
World Milk Day was created by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food and to celebrate the dairy sector. The day was first celebrated on June 1, 2001, and has since been observed annually on the same date. The aim of World Milk Day is to raise awareness about the benefits of milk and dairy products, as well as the importance of supporting the dairy sector globally. The day also provides an opportunity for dairy farmers, processors, and traders to showcase their products and engage with consumers.
Antibiotics in Milk
The widespread use of antibiotics has contributed to the control of diseases and the nutritional well-being of livestock. However, the use of antibiotics in the treatment of mastitis has created problems for the milk processor and consumer. Following treatment of mastitis with antibiotics, they may be found in the milk in sufficient concentrations to inhibit dairy starter microorganisms and cause economic losses to the cheese and fermented milk industries. Penicillin in very small concentrations found in milk may cause reactions in highly sensitive individuals.
Nationwide surveys revealed that penicillin was the primary antibiotic found in the central milk supply. Ten surveys covering a 9-yr. period (prior to 1960) in which 7,201 samples were tested, found 377 (5.2%) to be positive for the presence of antibiotics. The application of testing methods by regulatory and dairy personnel during 1960 resulted in a significant reduction in antibiotic-adulterated milk. Analyses of approximately 770,000 producer milk samples showed an incidence of 0.54%—a tenfold decrease.
When antibiotics are used to treat mastitis, dairymen should follow the prescribed recommendations for withholding milk for human use following treatment. Data compiled on intramammary infusions, intramuscular injections, and oral administration of antibiotics and their vehicles illustrate that wide variations exist concerning the relative persistence of the amount of antibiotics found in milk.
The persistence of antibiotics in milk differs in milk from cows in early-, mid-, and late-lactation. Some recent studies using highly sensitive methods indicate that antibiotics are transferred from treated to untreated quarters, but with penicillin this transfer is slight and of short duration and not likely to present a problem.
When adulterated milk leaves the farm, it is subjected to various processes in the milk plant. Antibiotics in milk are relatively stable to pasteurization temperatures and above, as well as to low temperatures (0–10° F.). Under refrigeration temperatures up to seven days of storage, in raw and pasteurized milk there tends to be a loss in antibiotic activity. Large quantities of milk are necessary to dilute milk from treated quarters, since cultures may be retarded if the concentration of penicillin is approximately 0.05 unit/per milliliter or greater.
Several substances have been found that will inactivate penicillin. The most promising, penicillinase, can be used to hydrolyze penicillin in milk and in penicillin allergy cases.
Larger quantities of inoculum and use of resistant cultures are an aid in the production of cheese made from milk that contains antibiotics.
The presence of antibiotics in milk constitutes an adulteration under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Educational and testing programs participated in by the Extension Service, veterinarians, dairy inspectors, sanitarians, fieldmen conferences, dairy schools, and government agencies have been helpful and cooperative, but the primary responsibility continues to rest with dairymen.
Milk And Antibiotics: Making Sure Your Milk Is Safe
Every day, the dairy community strives to do things responsibly; from taking care of cows to making sure your milk is free of antibiotics. One part of that is helping people understand how antibiotics are used responsibly on a dairy farm, and why you can be assured that all milk at the grocery store is antibiotic-free.
Sometimes it’s necessary for dairy farmers to work with veterinarians to treat their cows with antibiotics when they’re ill, just as we sometimes need medication when we’re sick. However, there are strict government standards and protocols that ensure there aren’t antibiotics in the milk you buy at the store.
Sources:
Antibiotics in Milk—A Review, Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 44, Issue 5, May 1961, Pages 779-807, J.L. Albright, S.L. Tuckey, G.T. Woods
Farmers Assuring Responsible Management. “Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Reference Manual 2022-2023.” Published 2022. Accessed 12.8.2022.
World Milk Day, https://worldmilkday.org/
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Milk_Day
Strategies for reduced antibiotic usage in dairy cattle farms, Erminio Trevisi, Alfonso Zecconi, Simone Cogrossi, Elisabetta Razzuoli, Paolo Grossi, Massimo Amadori.
