National Milk Day on January 11th commemorates the day many think the first milk deliveries in glass bottles began in the United States. Alexander Campbell of the New York Dairy Company professed to the New York State Senate that his company was the first to make these deliveries in 1878.
- The United States and Australia export more milk and milk products than any other countries. Those products include cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, cream, powdered milk, and much more.
- Throughout the world, more than 6 billion people consume milk and the products we make from it.
- In 1863, French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur made it possible for milk and other food and drinks to be stored for more extended periods. He developed a method of killing harmful bacteria that is now called pasteurization.
- In 1884, an American doctor, Hervey Thatcher of New York City, developed the first modern glass milk bottle. He called it the “Thatcher’s Common Sense Milk Jar.” He used a waxed paper disk to seal the milk in the glass bottle.
- Later, in 1932, plastic-coated paper milk cartons were introduced commercially as a consequence of their invention by Victor W. Farris.
- 28 US states have an official state beverage. 21 of those 28 chose milk. Alabama chose whiskey. – Source
- Farmers who called their cows by name reported 258 liters higher milk yield than those who did not. – Source
- Al Capone, an American gangster was responsible for expiration dates on milk bottles. – Source
- Platypus have no nipples, and milk simply flows from their skin. – Source
- Freckles, a goat in Utah, was implanted with spider genes as an embryo to produce spider silk proteins in her milk which is used to make “Biosteel,” a material stronger than kevlar. – Source
- Milk protein is used in the manufacturing of latex, which means most condoms have milk protein in them. – Source
- 65% of the milk consumption worldwide is from goat’s milk. – Source
- It is Illegal in Pennsylvania to use milk crates for anything other than milk and unauthorized use of milk crates can induce a fine of $300 or imprisonment up to 90 days. – Source
- A cow udder holds between 25 and 50 pounds of pure milk.
- To make one gallon of ice cream, it takes 12 pounds of whole milk
- A cow produces around 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
- A cow produces an average of 6.3 gallons of milk daily and 350,000 glasses of milk in a lifetime.
- Cows eat about 100 pounds of food every day and drink 50 gallons of water.
- Home delivery of milk (i.e. the milkman) started in 1942 as a war conservation measure.
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