Gangster Al Capone Is Responsible For Expiration Dates On Milk Bottles

National Milk Day on January 11 commemorates the day that 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 are the world’s largest exporters of milk and milk products.
• Throughout the world, there are more than 6 billion consumers of milk and milk products.
• In the Middle Ages, milk was called the virtuous white liquor because alcoholic beverages were more reliable than water.
• 1863 – French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization, a method of killing harmful bacteria in beverages and food products.
• 1884 – American Doctor Hervey Thatcher of New York City, developed the first modern glass milk bottle, called ‘Thatcher’s Common Sense Milk Jar,’ which was sealed with a waxed paper disk. Later, in 1932, plastic-coated paper milk cartons were introduced commercially as a consequence of their invention by Victor W. Farris.
• The females of all mammal species can by definition produce milk, but cow milk dominates commercial production. In 2011, FAO estimates  85% of all milk worldwide was produced from cows.   
• Aside from cattle, many kinds of livestock provide milk used by humans for dairy products. These animals include buffalo, goat, sheep, camel, donkey, horse, reindeer and yak.
• Milk is processed into a variety of dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, kefir, ice cream and cheese.
• Modern industrial processes use milk to produce casein, whey protein, lactose, condensed milk, powdered milk and many other food-additive and industrial products.
• World Milk Day is celebrated on June 1.
• 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
• Putting a frog in the milk bucket was an ancient Russian way of keeping milk from going sour. By studying this method, scientists have identified a wealth of new antibiotic substances. – Source
•  People who drink whole milk are less likely to be fat than those who drink low-fat 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 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.
• The average American consumes almost 25 gallons of milk a year.
• Fresh milk will stay fresher longer if you add a pinch of salt to each quart.
• A cow is more valuable for its milk, cheese, butter and yogurt than for its beef.
• Home delivery of milk (i.e. the milkman) started in 1942 as a war conservation measure.
• Countries that drink milk are smarter and win more Nobel prizes (Source)
• Lactose Intolerance can be cured (Source)
• The top milk drinking country is Finland drinking about 95 gallons of milk/ person/yr. The top 5 countries are Finland (361.19kg), Sweden (355.86kg), Netherlands (320.15kg), Switzerland (315kg), and Greece (314.69kg). The U.S. ranks 16^th (253.8kg) (Source – FAO Statistics Division)
• Both Nero’s wife and Cleopatra were known to bathe in milk on a regular basis to rejuvenate their skin. Nero’s wife kept 500 donkeys to keep her tub full of milk to “dispel all diseases and blights” (Source) (Source)

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Kick Ass Facts

Farm Flavor

Dairy Moos