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

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Milk and dairy products in human nutrition
Milk and dairy products play a key role in healthy human nutrition and development
throughout life, but especially in childhood, as discussed in Chapter 4 – Milk
and dairy products as part of the diet. However, the role of milk and dairy products
in human nutrition has been increasingly questioned in recent years. Milk is a
complex food containing numerous nutrients. Most of the constituents in milk do
not work in isolation, but rather interact with other constituents. Often, they are
involved in more than one biological process, sometimes with conflicting health
effects. Thus, while milk consumption is associated with a reduced risk of NCDs
such as osteoporosis and possibly colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes, concern has
been expressed about the possible association between high dairy consumption and
other NCDs such as cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. Milk fat provides a
good example of this. The traditional diet–heart paradigm, developed in the 1960s
and 1970s, held that consumption of fat, and saturated fat in particular, raised levels
of both cholesterol as a whole and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, leading
to coronary heart disease. Currently, many national and international authorities
recommend consumption of lower-fat dairy foods. However, the scientific rationale
behind this recommendation is still debated. In Chapter 4, we summarize the available
evidence on the relationship between dairy consumption and health.
Social and technological developments of the past few decades have significantly
influenced the variety of dairy products available. These products vary in their
nutritional composition and in Chapter 5 – Dairy components, products and human
health we present some of the main components that can be altered during processes
such as fermentation and fortification. Dairy foods and their nutrients are not
consumed in isolation and no single food can supply all essential nutrients. When
investigating the relationship between dairy products and health, it is important to
consider that the human diet is complex and is not defined by the inclusion or exclusion
of one food, but by its totality. Balance and variety is fundamental to healthy
eating. Although it is difficult to reach a firm conclusion on the health impact of
individual dairy products, in general dairy can be an important part of a healthy,
balanced diet. Given the diversity of dairy products with differing compositions,
ideally the consumer should be aware of the product’s overall nutritional profile
and how it can contribute positively or negatively to the diet. Today’s consumers
receive nutrition information and dietary advice on dairy consumption from a variety
of sources. The subject of health and nutrition claims has received considerable
attention from both the industry sector and the regulators. The general consensus
amongst the legislators is that the regulatory framework should protect the consumer
from false information, promote fair trade and encourage innovation in the
food industry that can ultimately translate into healthier lifestyles. The debate over
the validity of health claims has been particularly active in Europe. To date many
products claimed as being “health-enhancing” lack the scientific evidence to merit
claims. These and other issues are also discussed in Chapter 5.
With growing consumer concerns for their daily consumables there is also
increased awareness of safety and quality issues in milk and dairy products. As
highlighted in Chapter 6 – Safety and quality, ensuring the safety of milk and
dairy products is important to maintaining their nutritional values, in addition to
maintaining or supporting the livelihoods of dairy farmers and processors. Raw
or poorly processed or handled milk and milk products can lead to cases of food-