Research Paper on "Cow's Milk"

Research Paper 4 pages (1270 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Cow's Milk

Got Milk? This is the tagline for one of the most successful advertising campaigns in recent history. This campaign, created by the Goodby Silverstein Agency for the California Milk Processor Board, began in 1993 and was later licensed for use nationally. Thus far, it has been credited with increasing milk sales and purports to have over 90% awareness in the United States (Holt, 2002). The campaign, which is commonly known as the "milk mustache" advertisement, focuses on smiling celebrities who, ostensibly, have just enjoyed a glass of milk and have the lip stain to prove it. Since milk now competes with an ever-growing number of beverages in a competitive category, memorable advertising was considered necessary to keep cow's milk as a top of mind choice for consumers (see: milkdelivers.org). But, despite the glamor and humor of the advertisements, one must ask, after weaning, were mammals, specifically humans, meant to continue drinking milk?

Mother's milk and cow's milk, of course, are two different products. Mother's milk contains colostrum and carries the mother's antibodies to the offspring, reducing the risk of numerous diseases to the infant. This milk contains a large amount of saturated fat, protein, calcium, and well as Vitamin sC and D. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals as their digestive tract develops to the point at which they can handle solid foodstuffs ("Milk Composition," 2007).

Globally, especially the Western world, humans continue to consume milk and milk products throughout their lives. Cow's milk, for instance, is processed into numerous products: yogurt, butter, cream, and ice cream. Milk is marketed as a necessary drink for children to build strong bones and teeth, and for adults as a nutrient supplement. Humans, however, are the exception in nature regarding this desire to consume milk after weaning. However, recent studies show that more than 75% of all adult humans have some degree of lactose intolerance. Lactose is the sugar found in milk, and a special enzyme is needed to digest lactose, called lactase. Lactase is present in high levels in the small intestines of babies, but begins a slow decline with aging (Campe, 2008). In countries other than the First World, cultures have been successful using alternatives to cow's milk as needed foodstuffs: sheep milk, goat, yak, buffalo, camel and even horses (Mendelson, 2008).

In the United States, there are two grades of milk available to the public, Grade A and Grade B. Grade A farms are inspected more often, stored in cooled containers within hours after milking and never allowed to rise to higher temperatures which diminishes the bacteria count. Because milk is so rich in the types of foods in which bacteria thrive, prevention of bacterial contamination is of great concern to health regulators, and is also one of the criticisms regarding adults drinking milk when they are not able to fully digest the product (Dairy Farm Guides, 2009). To prevent this, modern milk products are pasteurized to increase shelf-life and destroy any pathogens that may be left over in the product. However, the pasteurization process eventually results in spoilage, an unpleasant odor, and increased levels of lactic acid. However, without pasteurization, it would be impossible for the milk industry to survive in modern urban culture. Over the past decade or so, the amount of milk needed has dramatically decreased for the regular consumer, but increased for the specialty market (espresso outlets) (Putnam and Allshouse, 2003).

Despite the milk industry's preoccupation with convincing Americans that milk is good for them, there are studies that indicate that, in fact, the consumption of milk after childhood may be detrimental to one's health. For example, milk contains casein, and when broken down in the human digestive system may aggravate autism (Christison, 2006). SMA, or "Cow's Milk Allergy," is an immunological disease resulting from… READ MORE

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