The milk of life
 

Milk is an exceptionally versatile natural product. It is simultaneously a product obtained through animal rearing, a product that can be transformed into other products and a consumer product that is commonly available in extremely diverse forms. Of all known foodstuffs, milk is the product that comes closest to providing an ideal nutritional balance.

"Milk is the integral product of the full and uninterrupted milking of a healthy, well nourished and not overworked milk-producing female. It should be collected in hygienic conditions and should not contain colostrum." (official definition - 1909)

Mothers’ milk is the first source of nourishment for all mammals. It transmits life and permits a good start of growth thanks to its indispensable elements for health during the early years of life, especially just after birth.

Milk is a slightly sweet-tasting white liquid that is secreted by the mammary glands of females of some 4000 mammal species. It is an essential source of nourishment for newborn infants but is also adapted to every stage of human life: childhood, adolescence, adult life, and old age.

 

 

85% of the world’s milk comes from cows.
 

In 2004, 520 million tonnes out of the total quantity of 628 million tonnes of all types of milk produced worldwide came from cows, which signifies that the quantity of cow’s milk clearly dominates that produced by any other species: female buffalos produced 88 million tonnes of milk, goat’s milk accounted for 12.7 million tonnes, and 7.8 million tonnes of milk came from ewes.

(Average milk content (in g/L)

Kefir and Koumis, the fermented and slightly fizzy alcoholic drinks traditionally consumed in the Caucasus and in Asia Minor, are made from mare’s milk.

It is one of the world’s most vital elements, and is considered as both a source of nourishment and a symbol of purity that is equated with richness and abundance. Its importance has survived through the centuries and today it remains one of the most essential elements of consumption and one that is present on an everyday basis.

Milk is an essential source of nourishment that unites a mother to her young. It is a universal life-bringing liquid that has been considered as a raw material in the domestic economy since ancient times. Very early on it was used to manufacture a wide range of dairy products, which were created to conserve milk in other forms.





 
 

A 100% natural product
 

In 2002, the French population consumed an average of 73.3 litres of milk in liquid form.
It is a favourite at breakfast time and is also a basic ingredient in cooking: 86% of French people use it to make desserts, purées, gratins and soups.

Although it can now be kept for longer periods thanks to developments in heating processes, milk remains a natural product that does not contain preservatives.

It is also a product that is easy to store, that is commercialised in practical packaging formats and that comes with a hygiene guarantee.

Milk and other dairy products are the foodstuffs with the highest calcium content. Milk contains 120mg per 100ml of this mineral. Most other foodstuffs, even those that are considered to be relatively high in calcium, contain much less (35mg/100g on average for fresh vegetables, 20 to 40mg/100g in citrus fruits).