Dairy milk’s popularity has dropped in recent decades, with Australians drinking less of it as they turn to milk alternatives.
From 2012 to 2022, average annual milk consumption per person in Australia dropped from 106 litres to 93 litres.
Click and listen the full episode below:
In the US, the decline is even more pronounced: from 170 litres per person in 1945 to just 60 litres in 2021.
On today’s episode of The Briefing, Simon Beaton is joined by farmer and author of Milk, Matthew Evans, to discuss why the shift happened, and how dairy milk alternatives, such as soy, almond, or oat milk, compare for health and sustainability.
Mr Evans said the shift away from dairy milk could be attributed to several factors.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, awareness of lactose intolerance has increased, with 65 per cent of adults worldwide unable to break down and absorb lactose, leading many to seek alternatives.
Concerns over animal welfare and environmental impact also play a role.
Dairy farming is often criticised for its high water usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
“I think the dairy industry has lost some of its social licence through its intensification through some of the things that they do in terms of animal welfare and how they look after the environment,” Mr Evans said.
Milk alternatives have surged in popularity, each with its own health and environmental profile.
Mr Evans said oat milk is often praised for its sustainability but can sometimes be lower in protein compared to dairy.
“Most of them—I would classify them nutritionally as either doing you very little good or potentially harm, especially if they’ve got their modifiers in emulsifiers,” he said.
“We know that emulsifiers are bad for gut health, which means bad for brain microbiomes and things that, and for your not only your digestion, but for your immunity and your brain health.”
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on LiSTNR today. The Briefing serves up the latest news and deep dives on topics affecting you, all in under 20 minutes.