Buy Australian Magazine June 2016

FEATURE
CERTIFIED ORGANIC MILK
Why you should have an-udder glass
So, feel like a
glass of milk?
Make sure you look for the
Australian Certified
Organic logo first!
Australian Organic owns
and supports Australia’s
largest organic certifying
group Australian
Certified Organic.
The Australian Certified
Organic ‘Bud’ logo appears
on over 16,000 products
across the nation.
For more information visit
www.austorganic.com
Remember when we used to get those little milk cartons at Primary School every
day? Turns out our teachers and parents were onto something! A glass of milk
every day is just what most kids need to lead a healthy life as adults. However, a
recent study discovered that, compared to non-organic classified dairy products,
we should be choosing organic milk as it contains double the health benefits.
The study was completed by the British Journal of Nutrition in Newcastle,
England, and was the largest systematic review of its kind led by an international
team of experts.
The results are as astounding as they are pleasant. The British Journal found that
organic milk as well as organic meat contain a whopping 50% more beneficial
omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic classified dairy and meat products.
Omega-3 fatty acids are the so called ‘essential fats’ within the human body and
crucial for our systems, as they have been shown to help prevent and control
common diseases of modern society. Omega-3 fatty acids also can help in the
prevention of heart disease and stroke, lupus, eczema and rheumatoid arthritis
as well as assist to normalise and regulate cholesterol. They also may play an
important role in protecting from cancer and other conditions.
Most importantly to note is that the human body can’t produce omega-3 fats
itself - humans have to consume omega-3 fat rich foods, such as fish, nuts and
leafy vegetables to be able to benefit from their positive properties. ‘The results
from this study are amazing, but come as no surprise to us here at Australian
Organic’ comments Australian Organic CEO Paul Stadhams. ‘Certified organic
farming methods result in nutritional differences between certified organic and
non-organic crops like fruit and vegetables, so it is natural to see positive changes
in dairy as well!’
The Australian Certified Organic Standard 2013 requires certified organic cows to
have access to a healthy diet. According to the British study, natural pasture can
contain high levels of clover which has been found to increase omega 3 fatty acid
concentrations. However, it’s not just about fresh milk!
The nutritional differences also apply to certified organic dairy like butter,
cream, cheese and yoghurt - which is great, because these are products people
consume on an everyday basis. ‘This research confirms everything the Australian
Organic and our standard stand for,’ says Chief Certification Officer for Australian
Certified Organic, Mr Michael Baker. ‘The way we grow our food, what we feed
our animals and how we treat them has a massive impact on the quality of the
produce we consume. We have always gone further than just saying that synthetic
additives and conservatives are bad for your health – in our opinion it’s not just
about the things you leave out, it is about the things you add as well! It’s nice to
see this scientifically backed up.’
According to Australian Organic’s 2014 Marketing Report, the dairy product
segment has grown dramatically since 2009. This is largely due to rising organic
milk sales, driven by increased demand of consumers who have realised that the
certified organic industry is the real deal and not just a marketing hype.
Dairy is the fastest growing sector within the certified organic sector and
there is little expectation the demand in this market sector is slowing down
any time soon.
1
Published 16 February 2016, British Journal of Nutrition, by Newcastle University, England
PAGE 46
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