"DRINK MORE MILK” CAMPAIGN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19835, 26 June 1934, Page 6

"DRINK MORE MILK” CAMPAIGN.

To the Editor of “ The Timaru Herald “ Sir,—ln view of the recent discussions on the “Drink More Milk” campaign, I think the following letter, which I received from the tutor-organ-iser of the Home Science Extension Bureau of Otago University, in answer to various questions on this subject, might be of interest more especially to parents. Much of the information contained therein was a revelation to me, and may be of value to many of your readers.—l am, etc., E. A. E. OLIVER. Pleasant Point, June 22. (Enclosure.) “Cocoa, made with water, a little milk and sugar, gives a caloric or heat generating value of approximately 55 calories, whereas the same quantity of milk, given as a beverage, would yield 160 to 180 calories. This will show then that milk gives a greater fuel value than cocoa made with a little milk, plus sugar. Furthermore, milk is more valuable in supplying mineral matter, which is so essential to growing bovs and girls. If the children do not readily take milk, there is no harm in heating the milk and flavouring it with a little cocoa. Naturally, the added cocoa will increase the fuel value of the beverage, but undoubtedly the use of an additional half-pint of milk per day. should improve the health of our young people, particularly regarding bone and teeth formation. A suggestion that the use of additional milk might be unnecessary in a country district, could, I think, be fully answered in the report of a New Zealand Government Department, that the average consumption per head of the population of New Zealand, is under half a pint per head, whereas to ensure health, one pint per head per day is the minimum. A point that must be made clear to the average housewife is that cream is no substitute for milk in the growing child’s diet. Furthermore: (1) Hot milk has no advantage over cold milk, it is mainly a matter of taste. As long as the source of the milk supply is clean, and all utensils used in handling the milk are of a high standard of cleanliness, cold milk is an excellent food. (2) Separator milk is a valuable drink. It contains a high percentage of mineral matter, and where whole milk cannot be obtained, the use if separator or skimmed milk is to be strongly advocated. Separator milk undoubtedly does taste ‘thin,’ and if for reasons of economy, separator milk is to be used, it might be well in that case to use cocoa for flavouring, but use at least 3 cup of skim milk for every cup of cocoa to be made.