World Milk Day is an international event celebrated globally around the world on the first of June for highlighting the importance of milk as a global food. It is celebrated across the world to acknowledge the contributions of the dairy sector to sustainability, economic development, farmer’s welfare, livelihood, and nutrition.
History
The first-ever World Milk Day was celebrated in the year 2001, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations selected June 1st as World Milk Day, to give the opportunity to all stakeholders associated with the dairy industry to publicize the role of milk and dairy products in our life’s and to publicize activities connected with it. Since then, every year this day is celebrated as a way for increasing awareness among the people about the nutrient value of milk and instilling a healthy habit in people who have a fast-paced lifestyle. It is a global event which is celebrated by various countries like India, Columbia, USA, Malaysia, Germany, Romania, UAE, etc.,
World Milk Day and Not National Milk Day
People often get confused over World Milk Day with National Milk Day. These two events are completely different in terms of its history and purpose of celebration however; central idea remains the same i.e., Milk. November 26th is celebrated as National Milk Day in India to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Verghese Kurien, father of India’s White Revolution. This date was fixed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), and 22 state-level milk federations.
Theme for 2020
The theme for World Milk Day 2020 is “the 20th Anniversary of World Milk Day”. The aim is to aware people of the importance of this day in society and to educate them about the importance of including milk and milk-based products in their diet. In 2019, World Milk Day was celebrated by over 40 countries. Activities included: milking demonstrations and farm visits; games, competitions and concerts; distribution of milk products; and conferences, seminars, and information sharing.
Unlike every year, this year’s event would be unique due to COVID-19 Outbreak. Various prominent stakeholders involved in the dairy sector are encouraged to organize various social media campaigns, online events, and webinars that shed light on the purpose behind celebrating this day. Various articles and news were published related to the importance of nutritional value associated with dairy products for creating awareness among consumers. The 2020 festivity was scheduled to begin from 29-31st May. A three-day event that was kicked off with the virtual event called “Enjoy Dairy Rally” wherein the organizers had extensive discussions on themes such as nutrition, health benefits, accessibility, affordability, sustainability, livelihoods, economic development, etc.
Milk: Showstopper of the Day!
Milk has long been considered as a wholesome food around the globe. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) defines milk as the normal mammary secretion of milking animals obtained from one or more milking without either addition to it or extraction from it, intended for consumption as liquid milk or for further processing. Milk is considered a superfood that provides the wealth of nutritional benefits and it acts as the primary source of nutrition before infant mammals can digest any other types of food. Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including “nutrients of concern,” which are under-consumed by many populations. It provides potassium, B12, calcium, and vitamin D, which are lacking in many diets. Milk is also an excellent source of vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, thiamine (B1) and contains hundreds of different fatty acids, including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3s, known to prevent diabetes and heart diseases. Consuming Milk on a daily basis reduces the chances of prostate cancer in males. Milk is a rich source of protein and is considered a “complete protein,” meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino acids necessary for your body to function at an optimal level. The two main types of protein found in milk are casein and whey protein. Both are considered high-quality proteins. According, to ICMR, Just 200ml (one glass of milk or a large bowl of yogurt) is enough to meet an adult’s daily calcium need, the rest can be obtained from legumes, beans, cereal, and vegetables that are part of traditional Indian diets.
Milk Sources:
Milk can be obtained from various animal sources. Approximately, 85%, 11%, 2%, and 2% of the global milk production is obtained from cows, water buffaloes, sheep, and goats, respectively.
Dairy Products
Since milk is a highly perishable item, therefore there is a need for processing it into a broad range of highly stable products. The removal of water from some of the products gives the advantage of:
- increased shelf –life of the product
- facilitates there transport
Dairy Products can be classified into 4 categories:
- Liquid Milk: Pasteurized Milk, Sterilized Milk, Flavored Milk, Toned Milk, Double Toned Milk, Condensed Milk, etc.
- Fermented Dairy Products: Curd, Yoghurt, cheese, Acidophilus milk, Bulgarian Milk, etc.
- Unfermented Dairy Products: Cream, Butter, Butter oil, Ice-Cream, Kulfi, Dairy Spreads, Gulab Jamun, Kheer, Khoa, lassi, Ghee, Paneer, Shrikhand, etc.
- Dried Milk Products: Buttermilk Powder, Whey Powder, Cream Powder, Ice- Cream Mix Powder, Instant Coffee Powder, Cheese Powder, Dry Sodium Caseinate, etc.
Ways To Celebrate International Milk Day
1) If you are someone belonging to the dairy, or health and nutrition sector, then you may register your campaign/online event/ webinar on worldmilkday.org and share your knowledge with the audience all across the world.
2) You can also enjoy this day as a participant by enrolling yourself in various online events enlisted on the above website.
3) You can also enjoy this day with your family members at home. You can involve your family member to prepare snacks, main courses, and desserts that use dairy items as the main ingredient.
4) Take a pledge to learn something new about milk and dairy products and spread it among your near and dear ones.
5) As we all know Shairing is Caring and it is the best time to implement this as COVID-19 pandemic is making the lives of people miserable. It would be a great idea to donate some milk packets to needy people and feed street dogs with milk.
6) You can also make this day memorable enjoying binge-watching documentaries that based on the processing of dairy products along with your family member with a bowl of ice-cream.
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