"Have you ever tried to milk an almond?"
The National Dairy Council has hit out at social media influencers for pushing millennials towards almond milk and similar dairy alternatives.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast with host Kieran Cuddihy, Chief Executive of the Council, Zoe Kavanagh, said that in certain age groups, particularly females between 20 and 29, consumption of dairy was in decline after the NDC's latest study found 41% of Irish women and 30% of men were either limiting or avoiding dairy.
Part of this shift, Kavanagh said, was due to the influence of social media personalities.
"Social media channels [are] where they get their information when it comes to diet, because they want to make smart choices," Kavanagh said.
"But what they have told us is that they are very confused because they are getting mixed messages."
"Traditionally we would've talked about dairy very much in a family setting around the kitchen table," she said, reminding one and all of those fond memories we all had growing up discussing dairy over dinner.
That tradition, however, has changed because of influencers, such as former Miss World Rosanna Davison, who was mentioned during the conversation on Newstalk Breakfast and blogs about the health benefits of a dairy-free lifestyle.
Kavanagh said there is noticeably a problem coming from "individuals setting themselves up as experts" who offer a "short-circuit to beauty".
"We're living in an era of the demise of the expert," Kavanagh said.
"To sum it up, image trumps science", she added.
It might be useful at this point to mention that Davision recently wrote in a blog entry on her website: "Humans are the only species on earth to drink the milk of another animal as adults. To me this is bizarre! It’s really no surprise that at least 75% of the world’s population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products, as it completely goes against what nature intended."
To this, there is really only one decent response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMcqSEbOheI
Clip via - rkarlo515
Pointing out that currently, 10% of people believe dairy is bad for their health, Kavanagh hit back by saying almond-based products are not an adequate substitute.
"Have you tried to milk an almond? Let's crush up some nuts, mix them with water, mix them with emulsifiers and stabilisers - you've got at least 12 ingredients going on there. Nothing there will match the one pure ingredient in milk."
In their most recent study, the NDC said: "It is a concern that 10% of the population perceive dairy as unhealthy. Misconceptions and urban myths about dairy’s fat levels, allergies and lactose intolerance are wrongly encouraging millennials to opt for trendy almond milk lattes and gluten-free foods."
