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 16th (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)
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