Australians are being encouraged to raise their glass to all things dairy – including producers – on World Milk Day.
The United Nations has declared June 1 to be World Milk Day, marking dairy’s important contribution to health and nutrition and the economic wellbeing of regional communities.
Dairy lovers have been urged to show their support by filling social media newsfeeds with photographs of themselves pouring a serve of milk, whether it’s into their coffee, breakfast cereal, their favourite dinner recipe or just a good old-fashioned glass of milk.
Victorian dairyfarmer Sinead De Gooyer, who also works as a local GP at Inverloch in Gippsland, said there had never been a better time to get behind Australian dairy.
“As a GP and a dairy farmer, I’ve got lots of reasons to encourage Australians to raise a glass on World Milk Day,” Dr De Gooyer said.
“The health benefits of consuming the recommended daily serves of dairy are well established and, not only that, it is a great way to get behind your local farming community and support our local economy.”
Dairy Australia dietitian Blake Robinson said the social media campaign complemented this year’s World Milk Day theme: Raise a Glass.
“Most people consume dairy simply because they love it and others love it because it’s a rich natural source of so many of the nutrients our bodies need,” Mr Robinson said.
“Regardless of your reason, raising a glass for World Milk Day is a great way to do something healthy for yourself while throwing your support behind our Aussie dairy farmers.”
Mr Robinson said the secret to milk’s ongoing global appeal lay in its list of ingredients.
“Cow’s milk has one simple, natural ingredient: milk,” he said.
Milk’s well-established health benefits come courtesy of its rich combination of readily-absorbed nutrients, which is difficult to replicate in a factory.
“Milk has been nourishing people for thousands of years and World Milk Day is a good opportunity for us to consider why this is,” Mr Robinson said.
“It’s a rich natural source of eight essential nutrients, which includes calcium for strong bones and protein for hunger busting and healthy muscles.’
To show your love for milk and support our farmers, simply post a photo of a ‘milk pour’ to your social media accounts today, with the hashtag #worldmilkday and #milkpour.