Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Milk contains many nutrients, including calcium and protein, as well as lactose and saturated fat. Immune factors and immune-modulating components in milk contribute to milk immunity. Early-lactation milk, which is called colostrum, contains antibodies and immune-modulating components that strengthen the immune system against many diseases. The US CDC agency recommends that children over the age of 12 months (the minimum age to stop giving breast milk or formula) should have two servings of dairy (milk) products a day, and more than six billion people worldwide consume milk and milk products.

As an agricultural product, dairy milk is collected from farm animals, mostly cattle. In 2011, dairy farms produced around 730 million tonnes (800 million short tons) of milk from 260 million dairy cows. India is the world's largest producer of milk and the leading exporter of skimmed milk powder. New Zealand, Germany, and the Netherlands are the largest exporters of milk products. Between 750 and 900 million people live in dairy-farming households.

Milk and milk products contribute many nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D (in products fortified with vitamin D), and potassium, to the diet. Consuming milk and milk products are linked to improved bone health, especially in children and adolescents. Consuming milk and milk products may also help to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and lower blood pressure in adults.

Drinking milk may seem like the obvious use for milk, but you probably have some participants who aren’t in the habit of drinking milk. Luckily milk has many delicious uses besides just being a beverage, so we've collected tips, ideas, and recipes to help you help participants find ways to use milk in snacks and meals. Read on for more information or jump right to the recipes.

Counseling Corner

Milk is full of many nutrients including protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and is of course famous for being a source of calcium! Visit the Eye on Nutrition series to learn more about these and other nutrients and the WIC Meals of the Month series to find nutrient-specific recipes.

There are a variety of reasons participants may need substitutions for cow's milk, including dairy allergies, cultural practices, vegan diets, and more. Soy-based beverages, which may be authorized by State WIC programs, provide similar nutrients in place of cow or goat's milk for such participants.

Types of Milk

Although there are many types of milk available in the marketplace, WIC food packages include specific categories of milk which provide key nutrients important for participants.

Whole Milk: This is the standard milk in food packages for 1-year-olds (12-23 months) and is higher in fat and calories than other milk options.

Low-fat (1%) or Nonfat Milk: These are the standard milk options for children >24 months of age and women. Nonfat milk may also be called skim milk. Participants may need a friendly reminder that although there is a fat and calorie difference in these kinds of milks, the vitamin and mineral amounts don’t differ much!

Do parents need help or ideas to transition to low-fat or 1% milk? Visit Helping WIC Participants Make the Switch to Low-Fat (1%) and Fat-Free Milk for nutrition education talking points and ideas for making the switch.

Evaporated Milk: This milk is shelf stable but must be refrigerated once opened. Evaporated milk can be used as a milk substitute for participants if needed.

Dry Milk: Dry milk has had all the liquid removed and is in powdered form. This type of milk is shelf stable so may be a good alternative if refrigerator access is limited.

Soy-based Beverage: Sometimes referred to as soy milk, soy-based beverage may be substituted based on an individual nutritional assessment and consultation with the participant's health care provider, if necessary, as established by State agency policy.

Lactose-free Milk*: This milk may be an option for participants who are lactose intolerant.

Goat’s Milk*: A less common milk option is goat’s milk, which can be used for drinking, cooking, and baking, just like cow’s milk. Popular in many parts of the world, goat’s milk may be an important cultural food for some participants.

* Not all foods may be available in every State, U.S. Territory, or Indian Tribal Organization due to the flexibility they have in selecting foods for their WIC food packages.

Tips & Ideas to Share

There are many ways to enjoy milk besides as a beverage. Other ideas include blending in milk-based drinks, splashing on oatmeal, serving with WIC authorized cereal, or using in a creamy recipe!

Add milk to help complement or boost the nutrients in each meal.

• Add milk to mashed potatoes for a creamy texture.

• Use milk instead of water or juice in smoothies.

• Make overnight oats or chia seed pudding with milk.

• Thin-out creamy sauces with a bit of milk.

• Make a quiche or frittata by adding milk to the egg mixture.

• Add a splash of milk to peanut butter to make a dip for fruit.

• Cook a creamy soup by using milk instead of broth. Just be sure to simmer slowly and stir often since milk can burn and stick to the pan if left unattended!

Safe storage of conventional milk is very important and requires refrigeration. Participants can even consider freezing milk for up to 3 months for later usage.

The amount of dairy foods children need each day depends on their age and can vary between 1 2/3 to 2 cups for toddlers under 2, 2 to 2 ½ cups for children ages 2-8, and 3 cups for children and adolescents 9-18. For children under age 2 years, dairy such as yogurt and cheese, including soy-based yogurt, can be introduced starting around 6 months. However, infants should not consume cow milk, as a beverage, or fortified soy beverage, before age 12 months as a replacement for human milk or infant formula. Plain cow (whole) milk or fortified unsweetened soy beverage can be offered beginning around 12 months of age to help meet calcium, potassium, vitamin D and protein needs.

Consumption of dairy is especially critical during childhood and adolescence as the gap between current and recommended intakes of dairy foods widens. For children ages 2 through 18, nutrient-dense options within the dairy group include unsweetened fat-free and low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverages and yogurt, and low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products.

What to know

• Pasteurization is crucial for milk safety, killing harmful germs that can cause illness.
• Consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations.
• Choosing pasteurized milk and dairy products is the best way to safely enjoy the nutritional benefits of milk.

Overview

Raw milk and A(H5N1) virus‎

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process that removes disease-causing germs by heating milk to a high enough temperature for a certain length of time. It's important to understand that raw milk can be a source of foodborne illness. While good practices on farms can reduce contamination, they cannot guarantee safety from harmful germs. Pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption. Since the early 1900s, pasteurization has greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses.

Risk

• Drinking or eating products made from raw milk can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella.
• Some groups, such as children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems, are at a higher risk of serious illness from these germs.

Symptoms

Symptoms of foodborne illness from raw milk can include diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. In some cases, more severe outcomes like Guillain-Barré syndrome or hemolytic uremic syndrome can occur, potentially leading to paralysis, kidney failure, stroke, or even death.

Prevention

• Choose pasteurized milk and dairy products, making sure to read labels carefully.
• Refrigerate perishable foods at 40°F or colder to slow bacterial growth. Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F. Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F, like in a hot car or at a picnic).
• Throw away expired or spoiled food. When in doubt, throw it out.

The dairy food group includes options for people who can’t or don’t drink milk. Individuals who are lactose intolerant can choose low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products. For individuals who choose dairy alternatives, fortified soy beverages (commonly known as “soy milk”) and soy yogurt—which are fortified with calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D—are included as part of the dairy group because they are similar to milk and yogurt based on nutrient composition and in their use in meals.

Other products sold as “milks” but made from plants (e.g., almond, rice, coconut, oat, and hemp “milks”) may contain calcium and be consumed as a source of calcium, but they are not included as part of the dairy group because their overall nutritional content is not similar to dairy milk and fortified soy beverages. Therefore, consuming these beverages does not contribute to meeting the dairy group recommendation.

Calcium-fortified products such as juices, cereals, breads, tofu, almond milk, and rice milk can also be good sources of calcium. For those who totally avoid Dairy Foods, it may be difficult to meet calcium needs on a regular basis.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service inspects only meat, poultry and egg products. The United States Food and Drug Administration inspects other foods. Yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator (40 ºF) one to two weeks or frozen (0 ºF) for one to two months. Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, ricotta or Brie can be refrigerated one week but they don't freeze well. Hard cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator six months before opening the package and three to four weeks after opening. It can also be frozen six months.

Processed cheese slices don't freeze well but can be kept in the refrigerator one to two months. Milk can be refrigerated seven days; buttermilk, about two weeks. Milk or buttermilk may be frozen for about three months. Sour cream is safe in the refrigerator about one to three weeks but doesn't freeze well.