New Zealand dairy farmers produce an outstanding product – eand one of Fonterra’s most important jobs is spreading the story of New Zealand dairy goodness across the globe. Our grass-fed, pasture-based farming practices and our temperate climate makes Kiwi farmers among the world’s most emissions-efficient dairy producers.
Fonterra dairy products deliver so much more than just their fresh, delicious taste. They provide high-quality nutrition to millions of people in more than 100 countries every day. Recently we launched our new Dairy Nutrition Hub on the Fonterra website to continue telling the story of New Zealand dairy goodness to people all over the world.
Milk: a natural superfood
Milk is a superfood, packed with natural nutrients that make it one of the building blocks of a healthy diet.
Today, no other food contributes more calcium to the world, with milk providing 49% of global availability of this essential element. It also makes a major contribution to the world’s need for another 27 nutrients, including vitamin B2 (24%), vitamin B12 (22%) and protein (12%).1
"If you removed dairy from the global food system tomorrow, you’d see real issues around total nutrient supply,” says Nick Smith, research officer at the Sustainable Nutrition Initiative®, in the Riddet Institute based in Massey University, Palmerston North. "Dairy’s about half of global calcium supply today, but even with that, calcium supply is considerably short of where it needs to be for the global population."
As leaders in the dairy industry, we need to continually advocate for the value and quality of our product. The Dairy Nutrition Hub on Fonterra.com brings this together. It showcases videos, articles and infographics to demonstrate why dairy can play a vital role in feeding you, your family and the world. It showcases our nutrition mission and our food safety credentials, and you can explore the role of milk in both the global food system and in our diet by following the milk drop through our "Nourishing the Planet" section.
Taking on plant-based claims
The Dairy Nutrition Hub provides science-based evidence for the health and nutrition benefits that milk and dairy products can provide – an essential tool in educating consumers. There can be considerable misinformation floating around online, as claims from non-dairy competitors sometimes aim to position themselves favourably in comparison to milk.
For example, we can clearly explain how milk differs from plant-based beverages. It is typically more affordable than plant-based beverages, while also delivering more protein, amino acids, calcium and much more. It’s only lightly processed and contains a single ingredient rather than a list that might include added sugar, vegetable oils and emulsifiers. “There’s no plant-based beverage that can deliver the same nutrient bundle as milk,” explains Laura Anderson, Head of Nutrition at Fonterra. “Milk’s natural goodness is extremely hard to replicate - even with extra fortification, plant-based beverages find it difficult to match the overall nutritional profile of milk, including the nutrients and bioactives. Plus, they can’t match the smooth creamy taste, and they are almost always more expensive.”
We are always working to promote the goodness of dairy to both local and international consumers. The Dairy Nutrition Hub provides a one-stop shop for information, backed by reliable scientific research and expert advice.
We would love you to visit the Dairy Nutrition Hub and explore the site - read about the latest consumer trends, or see how much calcium milk contains compared to other foods. We know you’re working hard to produce the best milk, and we want to make sure everyone knows just how unique and good it is.
1 Smith NW, Fletcher AJ, Hill JP, McNabb WC. Modeling the Contribution of Milk to Global Nutrition. Front Nutr. 2022 Jan 13;8:716100. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.716100. PMID: 35096919; PMCID: PMC8793832