Who knew milk could cause such a stir? With the UK leaving the EU, a US-UK trade deal could see cow’s milk contain an undesirable ingredient: more pus.
US rules allow almost double the amount of somatic cells – white blood cells that fight bacterial infection – than is permitted in UK milk. Milk with a high number of blood cells is of much lower quality and nutritional value. High cell counts can also indicate poor animal welfare on farms.
US regulators oppose the EU’s stricter limit and also its requirement to test milk at farm level – a measure designed to single out farms with infected herds – preferring to test vats of milk further down the supply chain that come from a number of producers.
Unearthed can reveal that the US dairy industry is already in discussions with the Trump administration about a trade deal and would like to see the UK relax its standards relating to somatic cells once it leaves the EU.
via Unearthed
With this in mind, Kurzgesagt produced a video entitled “Milk. White Poison or Healthy Drink?” for its channel:
Over the last decade, milk has become a bit controversial. Some people say it’s a necessary and nutritious food, vital for healthy bones, but others say it can cause cancer and lead to an early death. So who is right? And why are we drinking it anyway?
But it’s not just cow’s milk that has its share of controversy. Oatly, the popular oat milk brand, has been in the news after selling its stake to Blackstone, a private equity firm accused of contributing to deforestation in the Amazon. It’s also linked to President Trump.
There are also environmental issues with other cow’s milk alternatives such as almond milk. According to Pete Hemingway from Sustainable Restaurant Association, it takes over 6,000 litres of water to produce a litre of almond milk. Not exactly eco-friendly. If someone in your family is suffering, it better to ask your doctor is diverticulitis hereditary.
We still have pea milk, moose milk and donkey milk, I suppose.
