Dairy Milk – Canadian vs American

Each day there is some sort of conflict going on in the Food industry, we all have our own opinions and views on dairy milk. I am not trying to change a view but point out the facts and direct people to the right information for Canadian consumers.

In April 2016, while attending the BConnected conference, one of the keynote speakers was Amy Matheson, an Ontario Dairy farmer. She spoke about life on a dairy farm and Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Farm-to-table process of dairy milk.

Dairy Milk – Farm-to-Table

Farm-to-Table – refers to the stages of the production of food. The harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sales, and consumption.  Farm-to-table also refers to a movement concerned with producing food locally and delivering that food to local consumers.

The milk you choose to drink is your choice, but if you are making these choices because of what you hear or read, you should look further into the processing and distribution of dairy milk. Milk is processed differently in Canada than the United States. What is illegal in Canada is legal in the U.S. There is no big government cover up. Don’t let the fear of others change what you do.

Do you think that a farmer is going to allow their families to drink milk that is “said” to have antibiotics or hormones or whatever people are saying these days?  The answer is NO!, and that is why they are not poisoning us, the consumer. Canadian Dairy farmers consume their own product.  This may be true for American milk, but not Canadian dairy milk.

My family drinks milk every day. We use it in our tea, coffee, cereal and in our homemade chocolate milk. We love milk and we don’t believe that the farmers are hiding anything from us, we have done our research, viewed information, there is no cover up. Canadian Dairy milk is safe and so are the animals.

The Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) represent thousands of Canadian dairy farmers. It is owned and operated by dairy farmers. Dairy products are more often sold in the country of origin than to other countries. Milk in Canada is safe.

Safety

Rumours are being spread about the dairy industry, I wanted you to be aware of the Canadian safety of milk. All milk, including organic milk, is processed the same. There is no real difference except for the price.

Ontario’s dairy farms must meet stringent cleanliness, animal health and milk quality standards. All farms are inspected and standards are strictly enforced by DFO. Milk samples and finished product samples are tested by an accredited laboratory at the University of Guelph, under contract to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Milk processing plants are inspected provincially or federally.

A dairy cow in Canada that falls ill and is given antibiotics is removed from milking. The cow remains that way until all traces are gone.

Health Benefits of Milk

• fights cavities
• prevents osteoporosis
• reduces high blood pressure
• reduces the risks of diabetes
•  prevents Kidney stones
• builds intestinal strength
• reduces the risk of breast cancer

For more benefits to your health check out the Health and Nutritional information

Housing the Cows

All cows are housed according to codes and best practices.

I support all Canadian Farmers and so should you. Shop Local.  Learn the facts and visit a dairy farm near you.

Most photos have been provided by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, this is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own as always.