Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

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Milk and dairy products in human nutrition
3.5 Issues and challenges
Milk composition is affected by various factors including stage of lactation,
breed differences, number of calvings (parity), seasonal variations, age and health
of animal, feed and management effects, which makes it difficult to compare
compositional data (in absolute terms) between studies. In order to permit such
meta-analyses published studies should include information on the above factors,
analytical methods used and, where possible, have a control group for comparison.
Animal feed strategies and genetic improvement methods are likely to be
increasingly used to modify milk composition, for example to tailor the milk fat
composition to meet specific needs. Further research on the nutritional and food
safety implications is needed.
The importance of biodiversity in strengthening food security and nutrition is
increasingly apparent. More data are needed at breed level and on underutilized species
to develop the knowledge base on livestock biodiversity to help to maintain local
species and breeds that may otherwise become extinct, and to ensure that breeders
and livestock rearers can identify breeds and species that meet their specific needs.
Recent estimates have shown that the dairy sector accounts for 4 percent of total
anthropogenic anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with methane
accounting for over half of total emissions (FAO, 2010). Monogastric animals
such as horses and donkeys emit less methane as part of their digestive processes,
and thus offer possibilities of reducing GHG emissions while maintaining milk
production. Further studies on the production and composition of their milk may
be important for future decision-making for sustainable diets.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that no financial or other conflict of interest exists in relation
to the content of the chapter.
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