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Since 1920 The Dairy Council has been promoting the many health benefits of milk and dairy products to the public.
Through its diverse range of leaflets, videos and posters this non-profit making organisation provides credible information and advice on the important role that milk and dairy products play in the diet for both young and old.
In 2001 the emphasis was placed on campaign work and The Dairy Council launched its School Milk campaign – highlighting why a 189ml carton of milk at break-time is important for young children and demonstrating to head teachers how easy it is to introduce a milk scheme, offering reduced price milk to primary school children aged 5-11 years.
School nurses, head teachers, community nutritionists, dietitians and parent governors attended a series of national School Milk conferences organised by The Dairy Council. Informative leaflets were distributed to schools along with a motivating video message from head teachers already operating school milk schemes.
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The Dairy Council was so successful in breaking down the milk myth of ‘Margaret Thatcher Milk Snatcher’ that thousands more children are enjoying a carton of ‘The White Stuff’ at break-time, for as little as £7 a term.
In 2002 The Dairy Council launched its 3-A-Day campaign, highlighting the proven health benefits of eating three portions of low-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt each day.
The campaign started by alerting young people and women to the fact that they were not getting enough calcium in their diet and that this could affect their future bone health.
Adults and young children need to eat between 700- 450mg of calcium each day (see Fact box for age variants in calcium intake). Dairy products are a rich source of easily absorbed calcium in the diet and it doesn’t really matter which milk you drink e.g. skimmed, semi and whole, as they all contain similar amounts of calcium.
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• 6 slices of white bread
• 12 slices of brown bread
• 7 servings of cooked broccoli
• 16 servings of cooked cauliflower
• 8 medium bags of peanuts
• 10 tablespoons of red kidney beans
• 50 almonds
• 3 heaped tablespoons of sesame seeds
• ½ tin (100g) of sardines (including bones) |
Some of the most interesting news to come out of the campaign was that 3-A-Day:
• Boosts bone and dental health
• Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol
• Influences weight loss
• May protect against breast and colon cancer
• Provides essential nutrients. |
Thousands of health professionals received a summary of the science in this area while the public were given handy booklets. These detailed how cheese protects against tooth decay, the calcium in dairy products helps burn-off fat and has a protective effect on colon cancer – as does milk fat which may help protect against breast cancer.
More than 3 million diet sheets were distributed to GP surgeries in the UK. They showed how eating 3-A-Day of dairy products, in conjunction with 5-A-Day of fruit and vegetables and a low salt intake can reduce blood pressure.
Finally consumers interested in milk’s unique nutrient package were directed to the website www.milk.co.uk for further information.
In April 2003 The Dairy Council launched its current Better Bones and Teeth campaign, aimed at parents, with a series of print adverts promoting milk as a natural, low-fat and healthy drink.
The adverts will run in magazines like Hello, the Radio Times, Bella and the national newspapers until September 2003. After that, The Dairy Council intends to highlight to young girls and boys how the nutrients in milk can help boost health and beauty.
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Adults should consume at least 700mg of calcium each day by consuming a glass of milk, pot of yoghurt and match-boxed size piece of cheese each day.
The portion sizes vary depending on age:
Children: Age 1-3 years
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• A small glass of milk (100ml)
• A small pot of yogurt (80g)
• A piece of cheese (15g)
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Children: Age 4-7 years
Slightly bigger than above
Children: Age 8-10
• A glass of milk (150ml)
• A pot of yogurt (125g)
• A piece of cheese (25g)
Adults (including teenage girls)
• A glass of milk (200ml)
• A pot of yogurt (150g)
• A piece of cheese (30g) |
Teenage boys
• A glass of milk (250ml)
• A large pot of yogurt (200g)
• A piece of cheese (35g |
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