Milk From Farm to Fridge your questions answered /ADAMideast /ADAMideast /ADA_Mideast /ADAMideast
Amazing steps from cow to you Dairy farmers use milking machines to milk their cows 2-3 times a day. It only takes about 5-7 minutes for a cow to be milked! Milk is pumped through sanitized pipes and is rapidly cooled before it reaches the refrigerated bulk tank where it is stored at 45 F or less. Milk is transported in an insulated tanker from the farm to a processing facility. From farm to fridge, milk is never touched by human hands. Milk is tested for safety before it leaves the tanker. If milk tests positive for antibiotics, it is disposed of and never enters the food supply. After the milk is tested, milk goes through a three-step process: pasteurization, standardization and homogenization. Pasteurized milk is cooled and stored in tanks until bottled. Bottled products are randomly pulled from production for additional testing. Additional lab testing of finished product for freshness and consistency before leaving the processing facility to the grocery store. Refrigerated trucks transport milk and dairy foods to grocery stores, local schools and other consumers for you and your family to enjoy!
Common questions about milk ARE THERE ANTIBIOTICS IN MILK? No. All milk both regular and organic is tested for antibiotics. Cows sometimes get sick and require medicine, but their milk does not go into the milk supply. If milk tests positive for antibiotics, it is disposed of and never enters the food stream. Less than 0.02% of all milk tested last year ever had an issue. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIC & REGULAR MILK? No. In terms of quality, safety and nutrition, there s no difference between organic and regular milk. The difference is how they are produced on the farm. Some organic farming practices include: -Cows must eat certified organic feed -Cows must have access to organic pasture during the grazing season -Antibiotics are prohibited and cows must be sold to non-organic markets if treament is required. ARE THERE GMOs IN MY MILK? No. Some cows eat feed containing genetically engineered corn and soybeans which cows digest the same way as they do non-gmo grains. Genetically engineered DNA has never been detected in milk from cows fed GMO plants. IS THERE A BENEFIT TO DRINKING A2 MILK OVER REGULAR MILK No. A2 milk offers the same nutrition and health benefits as regular milk. Any specific claims are not currently supported by science. ARE THERE HORMONES ADDED TO MY MILK? No. Hormones are naturally present in many foods of plant and animal origin, including milk. Although it is uncommon, some farmers choose to supplement their cows with rbst, an FDA-approved synthetic hormone, to help with milk production. Science shows that it is safe for cows and has no effect on humans or the hormone levels in the milk itself.
Most asked questions about cow care WHY AREN T CALVES KEPT WITH THEIR MOTHERS? Calves represent the future of the farm so dairy farmers work extremely hard to keep them healthy, which is why newborn calves are moved to clean individual pens like hutches or special calf barns within 24 hours of birth. Newborns have vulnerable immune systems so it is important to protect them from germs in the environment or diseases that can be passed on from adult cows. WHY AREN T ALL DAIRY COWS OUT ON PASTURE? The well-being, protection and comfort of cows are top priority on all farms. Access to pasture is determined by geography, land availability and weather conditions. Many of today s dairy farms use free-stall housing, a type of climate-controlled barn, where cows move about as they choose, equipped with fans, misters, curtains and soft bedding like sand, mattresses or waterbeds to keep them comfortable. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DAIRY COWS GET SICK? Cows do occasionally get sick and sometimes require medicine just like we do. Large-animal veterinarians prescribe antibiotics only when needed. These cows are housed separately so they can be closely monitored and wear leg bands to make sure they are not milked with the rest of the herd. WHAT DO DAIRY COWS EAT? Dairy cows eat about 100 pounds of feed and drink 30-50 gallons of water (about a bathtub full) each day. Their feed is specially formulated by a dairy nutritionist and is typically a combination of hay, grain, corn silage (the entire corn stalk chopped) and proteins (such as soybean meal), plus vitamins and minerals.
IS DAIRY GOOD FOR ME & MY FAMILY? Milk and dairy foods don t just taste delicious, but they re also good for your body. Drinking 8 ounces of nutritious milk can help you get one step closer to meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended 3 servings of lowfat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt. 25% One serving of milk provides: CALCIUM Helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth 16% 15% 10% PROTEIN Helps build and repair muscle tissue VITAMIN D Helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN) Used in energy metabolism in the body 50% 20% VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMIN) Helps with normal blood functions and a healthy nervous system VITAMIN B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID) Helps your body use carbohydrates, fats, and protein for fuel 15% 25% VITAMIN A Helps keep skin and eyes healthy; helps promote growth VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN) Helps your body use carbohydrates, fats, and protein for fuel 20% PHOSPHORUS Helps build and maintain strong bones & teeth; supports tissue growth The % tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Sources U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2016. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata; Low-fat milk with added vitamin A and D (#01082)
IS DAIRY GOOD FOR OUR AIR, LAND & WATER? Dairy farmers work to conserve resources such as water, land and energy. They also carefully manage waste. Today, farmers have tools to measure soil, carbon, water and energy use to make decisions that help their farms use those resources efficiently. Today a gallon of milk is produced with 65% LESS WATER & 63% LESS CARBON than a gallon of milk in 1944 75% OF A COW S DIET IS. INEDIBLE TO HUMANS By-products from food and fiber industries like citrus pulp & cottonseed are converted to milk rather than sent to landfills 1 cow produces 17 gallons of manure per day - that s enough natural fertilizer to grow 56 POUNDS OF CORN OR 84 POUNDS OF TOMATOES or it can even be recycled into renewable energy The dairy community is working to REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS BY 25% BY 2020
MILK IS LOCAL The U.S. is home to 9.3 million dairy cows that live on 40,000 farms and produce 24.7 billion gallons of milk annually. On average, milk travels less than 300 miles to get from the dairy farm to your local grocery store. 97% of all dairy farms nationwide are family-owned Milk travels from the farm to the grocery store in about 48 hours Ohio West Virginia 1 4 11 Ohio is home to 261,000 dairy cows that live on 2,200+ farms and produce 650 million gallons of milk annually 1st in Swiss cheese production 4th in total number of dairy companies 11th in milk production National rankings 38 42 43 West Virginia is home to 7,000 dairy cows that live on 60+ farms and produce 16 million gallons of milk annually 38th in number of dairy farms 42nd in number of dairy cows 43rd in milk production