The Madness of Milk: Cracking the Truth About Dairy

Cracking the Truth About Dairy

Dairy: the cliff edge from which so few vegetarians wish to leap off and dive with ethical elegance into veganism. There is a possessiveness to dairy (“my cheese”), a reluctance to alter what on the surface doesn’t seem so very bad – what harm when there is no blood, no flesh to be seen, reminder of a “food’s” origin? So it is that, just like Cowspiracy and its marine successor Seaspiracy, dairy is now having its own outpouring of awareness-raising documentaries – to the point of overflowing.

[Cows] in the UK don’t usually get the kind of David Attenborough treatment reserved for lions and tigers.

- The Guardian

Let’s start with Cow, the title inspired by dairy’s central animal source. As a Sustainable Food Trust review noted, what Cow does is make sure we truly know what is going on, intimately and from the animal’s perspective. Shot over four years, it is “a confronting and bleak insight” into the first-hand experience of cattle on an industrial dairy farm. Following Luma, a heifer who has birthed six calves on the farm, Cow records her daily life, until her doomed end.

At the film’s start, viewers are quickly shocked by the speed with which Luma’s latest calf is taken away from her. Devoid of dialogue, the script flows only in the lowing of the bovine language, all too frequently panicked and desperate. The camera focuses on the soulful eyes of its protagonist, clearly distraught and bereft of her infant. She goes off her food from the grief. And why has she been put through this? So that the calf doesn’t drink the milk her udder holds, so it instead can be sold to human consumers. Milk fetches a higher price when the ethics of such a practice are taken into consideration and the calf permitted to stay with its mother somewhat longer (“calf at foot”) – but the essential process of forced production and theft is fundamentally the same. The “ethical dairy” farmer might permit 12 weeks’ bonding or so between mother and baby, and if organic might treat their heifer to grass on an ongoing basis (a minimum of 60% of the time is required for organic certification), but other than such perks in the cow’s life, there is little difference from the exploitation of industrial dairy cows (Luma and the others only saw grass at least 45 minutes into the film). As was the intended outcome with other such ecodocumentaries, those who see Cow for the first time are usually duly horrified, become depressed, and swear off dairy henceforth. After all, how can dairy ever be “ethical” when it is a product of an endless series of impregnations without consent and heartrending kidnappings after every birth? Strong words, but suitable for ripping away the bright, calcium-kid smile from the milk industry’s advertising gloss on reality.

In order to produce a dairy cow, heartrending cruelty, and not merely exploitation, is a necessity. Milk and its derivatives are products of pain, suffering, and abominable interference with the law of love.

- Leslie Cross

The average British person consumes 1.4 litres

of milk in a week

It takes a cow roughly around 60 hours

to turn grass into milk

No longer simply a movement, alternative milks have become mainstream. With Oatly now offering a soft-serve vegan yogurt amongst its other hugely popular products, all vying to catch the eye of dairy-free consumers in competition with the increasing numbers of other brands – options ranging from coconut to almond and soya (to name but a few) – it’s clear that plant-based dairy products are here to stay. And now, with the upcycling methods of “grain milks” such as barley being added to the list, why would anyone still want what comes from a cow’s udder instead?

Given this, it might have been World Milk Day on June 1st, but – and we urged the same thing last year – why not henceforth try and make them plant-based milk days instead?

Vegan Canada recently reviewed the current available scientific evidence on the health risks of dairy products. Collating information from 15 separate studies, results showed that consuming dairy increases the risk of certain cancers by around 9%; in particular, prostate cancer. Meanwhile, another study of 52,795 women in the US found a 22% increased risk of breast cancer specifically in those who drank milk (as opposed to consuming other dairy products).

The health benefits of ditching the dairy are numerous. Furthermore, dietician for The Vegan Society, Andrea Rymer has noted that fortified plant milks contain more calcium than dairy, whilst being lower in fat, too. The fortification is particularly important for those new to plant-based living, as they otherwise might not make up for calcium intake elsewhere in their diet. Before we look more closely at plantbased alt-dairy, though, it’s first worth mentioning that developments in labgrown dairy, referred to as precision fermentation are coming on apace, also. Precision fermentation still uses cow DNA, stretching it before processing to allow microorganisms to create a product bioidentical to animal milk, or “real milk without animal cruelty”. Vegconomist recently reported on a study co-published by precision fermentation company Formo (formerly known as LegenDairy Foods) and the University of Bath, which surveyed consumers in the UK, USA, Brazil, Germany, and India on their willingness to buy and to try vegan cheese, with 71% showing interest in purchasing and 79% keen to at least try a lab-grown alternative to dairy-derived cheddar and the like. It is thought there is such widespread interest due to the extensive dissatisfaction with plant-based cheeses.

So, it is interesting to note that Canadian company, Opalia announced earlier this year that it was one step closer to animal-free cell-cultured milk, after replacing the controversial ingredient of FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum) in its processes. Given that FBS is taken from the placenta of pregnant cows, a more ethical alternative was always going to be a necessary discovery. Nonetheless, Opalia is still gathering mammary epithelial cells from cows, before enhancing them and growing them in a bioreactor, where they lactate. Very Sci-Fi creepy (or perhaps that’s just our take), but by this method Opalia can create two whey proteins, four casein proteins, and even milk fats – and bring dairy products to households without lifelong industrial incarceration and impregnation of female cattle.

Danone North America has also been seeking animal-free casein for better-tasting vegan cheese. The protein casein is what gives cheese its melting and stretching qualities. Danone North America joins the likes of Nobell Foods, which has developed a plant-based casein “by recreating the genetic code in soybean seeds”. But, back outside the laboratories, and as pertains to properly vegan alternatives, dairy-free milks are also battling to be considered the best. Currently, oat milk is in competition with macadamia milk for top “creamy” coffee choice. Such creaminess come from monounsaturated fat (the heart healthy kind), macadamia milk is sadly still pretty rare (not to mention, expensive) to come by in the UK. However, across the pond it’s doing very well indeed.

Approximately 225ml of unsweetened macadamia milk has about 5g of fat, 1g of fibre and protein each, 1g of carbohydrates, and only 50 calories, whereas the equivalent serving of oat milk has 60 calories, only 3g of fat, 1g of both protein and fibre, but 7g of carbohydrates. So, the difference between them is pretty minimal, unless you’re on a low-carbohydrate or diabetes-management diet: then, the macadamia milk is a no-brainer. Additionally, it contains iron, vitamin B6, manganese, and potassium. And if you pick up a fortified version, you’ll likely benefit from vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and calcium, too. Great, then – if you can find it.

The alt milk scene is very much a profitable one. In 2020, globally the alternative dairy market was valued by Grand Review Research at £14.8 billion. By 2028, it’s estimated that that figure will have increased some 12.5%. Yet, what about its sustainability factor? It is widely known that almonds and rice use a phenomenal amount of water in their growing. Oat milk might be the most environmentally friendly, but is it entirely healthy with its high carbohydrate density? Certainly, Plamil’s Adrian Ling thought it far superior to almond milk, his company’s future vision seeking the most nutrition for the most amount of people, for the most future environmental amelioration and sustainability: no small ambition.

For those for whom macadamia milk isn’t an option, another new addition to the market is Alpro’s Not M*lk, which debuted in January. Another oat milk in a busy marketplace, Alpro’s version is made from European-grown oats and packaged in recyclable cartons. Not M*lk is competitively priced, though, in a major growth sector, UK consumers spending £146 million on oat milk in 2020 alone. In 2020, the global vegan yogurt market was worth around $1.94 billion [c. £1.54 billion]. By 2026, that value is expected to rise by some 17.7%. It is thought that vegan yogurt is especially seeing a growth period because of its flavour adaptability when compared to plant milks (though, this is changing, too). Starbucks has even launched a vegan yogurt drink in South Korea, “Pine Coco Green Yogurt Blended”, plant-based industry in the country having tripled over the past 10 years.

With lactose intolerance widespread in all creeds and colours (the US National Library of Medicine estimating that roughly 65% of the human race taken as a whole are so) and with dairy also having been found in other studies to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke – for those who refuse to relinquish animal-sourced dairy products, the question begs why continue to poison oneself in this way? Are diehard dairy advocates, as any vegan worth their salt in personal research will tell you, simply addicted (dairy milk containing morphinelike compounds called casomorphins that serve naturally to bond calf to mother)? Perhaps, but as another dairy-exposé documentary, Milked suggests, the answer is in part a fiscal one.

The planet can produce enough for human need, but not human greed.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Directed and produced by Amy Taylor, and co-produced by its presenter Chris Huriwai, the Ahimsa Films documentary Milked is a Kiwi look at the dairy industry, New Zealand being the biggest exporter of dairy in the world. Following Chris on a self-set mission to unearth the truth behind the lies when it comes to the environmental impact of industrial dairy farming, Milked brings to viewers a man from the rural north of Aotearoa, who has always had a connection with and concern about the environment. When Chris watched Cowspiracy, he simply thought that was the state of affairs in America, not at home. After all, New Zealand also claims to have the most sustainable dairy industry in the world. Then, he discovered he was wrong.

According to Greenpeace’s Genevieve Toop, the biggest polluter in New Zealand is the dairy industry, accounting for 23% of its total GHGs. It might self-describe itself as sustainable, but its emissions have increased by 132% in only the last 30 years. Kevin Hague of Forest & Bird told Chris that the country is seeing “a collapse of natural ecosystems”, while Aotearoa’s Green Party member Gareth Hughes recounted how New Zealand used to be covered in forests, but that it has now “lost the biggest chunk of wetlands in modern history in the last 100 years [in order] to put more cows on paddocks”. The disequilibrium is frightening. New Zealand’s largest dairy company is Fonterra, a co-op owned by farmers. Classed as one of the top five dairy (and meat) companies globally, Fonterra and the other four together produce more emissions than the entire UK and its population of 68 million people does (578 million tonnes in comparison to 507 million tonnes, if you were wondering). On its own, within a decade Fonterra’s emissions are projected to exceed New Zealand’s entire emissions target.

Is it any wonder, though, when “white-gold fever” still runs rampant, the country having over 6 million dairy cows? In Aotearoa alone, the dairy herd produces in excess of 150 litres of urine per day and effluent equivalent to that of 90 million people. What demonstrably suffers is the surrounding environment, namely the soil and water. In New Zealand, water is quite literally sacred to the Māori. However, pollution has already afflicted such lakes as Omapere. Such pollution of land and water by industrial dairy farming isn’t unique to New Zealand, either.

Globally, farmed animals and humans combined equate to 96% of all mammalian biomass (only the remaining 4% of all mammals wild), and worldwide demand for food is predicted to double by 2050. This isn’t surprising, but what is shocking is scientists’ warning that in order to feed that exploded population (while it continues to consume meat and dairy at the current unsustainable rate) not just one but five Earths would be required.

The Vegan Cheese Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report for the period 2022-2030 predicts a market value of $7.1 billion [c. £5.66 billion] by the end of the report’s eightyear coverage. Mozzarella has been the runaway plant-based cheese as a product; no surprise, given its broad application in a variety of people’s favourite dishes, from pasta and pizza, to toasted sandwiches and salads. It is projected that vegan ricotta will come to nip at mozzarella’s heels, though, with an estimated revenue growth of 14% by 2030: again, this is fuelled by a near-global predilection for Italian inspired meals. Cashews as a source for vegan cheese, meanwhile, garnered most revenue last year. Low in fat and offering vitamins B2 and B12, cashew-based alternative dairy products are also cholesterol-free and gluten-free.

The lowest cost dairy substitute, however, is the oldest one: soy-based dairy products hark back to the days of fermented tofu in the East and offer consumers a nutritionally complete food in terms of essential fatty acids and amino acids. But what of more outlandish artisanal cheese, that holy grail of vegan gastronomic skill? With hemp and even cauliflower being experimental ingredients these days, what will eventually be the key to unlocking a cheese that tastes like cheese but doesn’t cost a cow a thing?

From the four-legged to the winged, cows are one thing, but what about chickens? With avian flu having stricken poultry farmers since the latter part of 2021, the outbreak was so severe that free-range and organic farms were forced to bring their hens entirely indoors, egg cartons displaying a note to consumers that stated the move was temporary. Yet, it still meant that the chickens suffered. If avian flu continues to frequently reoccur in this manner, subsequently ever more seriously, it surely poses the question of whether we should continue to exploit birds for meat and eggs, does it not?

As with other products “traditionally” derived from animals, companies are also racing to the finish line to create a plantbased alternative to eggs. Alt-meat chicken was a relatively “easy” thing to create in the grand cellular agriculture scheme of things, but eggs have proved a tad trickier. The Every Company, an American biotechnology company, revealed in 2021 that it was precision fermenting egg whites from real chicken egg proteins (so, not vegan then…), the proteins added to yeast cells and then “grown up” in vats (similar to the process of making synthetic insulin for diabetics). However, at the start of 2022 scientists at the University of Helsinki, Finland revealed that they had created a fungi-based egg white via precision fermentation.

Apparently, the Trichoderma reesei fungal-produced ovalbumin uses 90% less land and emits up to 55% less than standard egg production. It is also claimed that it eliminates the risk of salmonella and antibiotic exposure. Egg white has been focused on as an alternative to the chicken egg white powder that is a vital ingredient in the food industry. So, while JUST Egg dominates a keenly developing market as a plant-based product (around a third of us would choose vegan eggs over “conventional” eggs), it is hoped that this biotech fungal version might in the long-run offer greater functionality at scale. As pertains to the domestic kitchen, however, the go-to for an eggy taste in one’s plant-based cooking is Kala namak (the sulphurous-smelling Himalayan black salt). It’s not an egg, per se, but it hints at what one gave up for moral reasons. Conversely, chickpea water (aka aquafaba) can be whipped up in egg white fashion and used to bind or provide bubbles (its foamy quality come from its saponins). About three tablespoons suffices for the replacement of one egg. Chemically, though, while chicken egg white contains about 11% protein (all nine essential amino acids and then nine others) and not much else besides, aquafaba also offers carbohydrates and anti-ageing isoflavones.

Sadly, aquafaba’s protein is incomplete, so it has to be combined with other foods to offer nutritionally complete meal – which isn’t particularly onerous. Nevertheless, it otherwise offers healthy fats like linoleic and oleic acids. Beware also opting for canned chickpea water, as sometimes it can be exactly that: just water.

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Pumpkin Puree

Bear with us… When it comes to baking, pumpkin puree is a lifesaver. Its texture adds that certain something that always seems to be lacking when an egg is missing, sure, but it’s the nutritional content of pumpkin puree that makes it a top pick for vegan baking: think vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and potassium and fibre, also. A ¼ cup is equivalent to one egg.

The key words here are “mashed” and “puree” – be sure you don’t liquify these options, as they won’t work in the same way. Rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals, a ¼ cup of each similarly equates to one egg. The only caveat with these three is that their individual flavours will permeate through the overall flavour of the finished dish.

Tofu

Best for savoury egg dishes that you once enjoyed, tofu (especially silken tofu) lends itself to a delicious breakfast scramble. Cholesterol-free, tofu is also a plant-based source of iron, calcium, and potassium. Again, a ¼ cup is equivalent to one egg.

Unsweetened Applesauce

This one harks back to the dieting era of the late 80s and early 90s, but the wisdom of its replacement of chicken eggs is sound. Chock full of anti-inflammatory antioxidants, applesauce is also good for those who struggle with digestion. As with other egg replacement options, a ¼ cup of applesauce is equivalent to one egg.

Ground Flaxseed or Chia Seeds

Mashed Banana or Cooked Sweet Potatoes or Avocado Puree

Adding both texture and fibre to recipes – not to mention Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins – these nutritional powerhouses can be used in recipes without any heating process, as well, from yogurt-based desserts to smoothie bowls and the like. Mix 1tbsp of either ground flax seeds or chia seeds with 2tbsp or 3tbsp of water until thickened: this mixture is then equivalent to one egg.