- Predictions For Milk And Dairy Products In The Next 50
Years
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- Old MacDonald will be surprised when he sees what's headed
for his dairy farm: specially bred cows that naturally produce low-fat
milk, designer milk that boosts the immune system, and "green"
cows -- engineered to produce less methane to help stem global warming.
All are among the changes predicted for the future of the milk and dairy
industry over the next 50 years.
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- These and other developments are described in a special
report commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical
Society, the world's largest scientific society. The report is written
by Lawrence K. Creamer, of the Fonterra Research Centre in New Zealand,
and his associates. It will be published in the Dec. 4 print issue of the
journal.
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- Among The Predictions
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- Designer milk -- Organic milks are already available
at supermarkets, but a new breed of designer milks are on the drawing board
that will boost immunity, improve lactose utilization and relieve diarrhea.
Advances in biotechnology have made it all possible: Got designer milk?
Naturally low-fat milk -- Recent advances in biotechnology have identified
a gene for milkfat synthesis that may one day allow scientists to selectively
breed cows that naturally produce low-fat milk. This and other developments
are moving closer to reality as researchers identify genetic markers in
cows for diseases or desirable traits that will enable scientists to improve
the efficiency of milk production and select for milk with specific traits.
Although the development of genetically modified cows and milk products
shows promise, consumer resistance to such products will remain a barrier
well into the future, the researchers predict.
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- Green cows -- Researchers are trying to develop green
cows. No, not green-colored cows, but environmentally cleaner cows. Cattle,
via belching, produce a significant amount of methane as a result of digestion.
Methane (from cows and other sources) is a major contributor to the greenhouse
effect in the atmosphere, second only to carbon dioxide, which many scientists
think contributes to global warming. Researchers believe that they can
alter cattle digestion, either by removing the microorganisms that produce
methane from their stomachs or by creating microorganisms that can produce
metabolic products other than methane. The end result: green cows.
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- Milk alternatives -- Competition from nondairy materials
will increase, driven by consumer demand. Already, supermarkets have been
flooded with alternative soy products, from soybean milk to soy-based ice
cream. These products offer options for those that are allergic to milk
or concerned about dairy safety. In the pipeline: useful milk proteins
produced not from cows, but from recombinant organisms, such as yeasts.
Still, experts predict that milk will continue to be a viable nutrition
source in the future.
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- Renewed emphasis on food safety -- Underlying the new
developments in dairy farming will be an increased emphasis on food safety.
Diseases such as mad cow and foot and mouth disease are being fought with
government regulatory programs and rigorous farm management, as well as
advances in biotechnology.
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- Note: This story has been adapted from a news release
issued for journalists and other members of the public. If you wish to
quote any part of this story, please credit American Chemical Society as
the original source. You may also wish to include the following link in
any citation:
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- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021126202103.htm
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