Despite the massive campaigns by the dairy industry, in league with the world’s governments to persuade us that cows’ milk is a natural and vital aspect of the human diet, the truth about milk campaigns are finally making headway. Many people are becoming aware that not only is it in no way ‘natural’ to drink cows’ milk, but that it also happens to be jam-packed full of nasties that no-one would happily choose to drink were these nasties (blood and pus cells, growth hormones and antibiotics) offered to them in a glass, separated from the lovely, sweet, ‘nutritious’ liquid of which they are a part. Fancy pouring a glass of that stuff over your cereal? Mmmm, lovely! Are you really comfortable drinking blood cells? Are you not concerned about drinking growth hormones? Are you really happy to drink pus cells?

Of course cows’ milk is ‘pasteurised’ in order to protect us from the harmful effects of its hidden ingredients, - however this process does not remove the pus cells from the milk, it only heats them up sufficiently to ‘kill’ them, but you are still consuming dead pus cells in every mouthful of cows’ milk. The pus is due to the sheer level of mastitis that dairy cows experience worldwide across the dairy industry, as a result of being forced to yield much higher levels of milk than they would do naturally. The cows are treated with antibiotics of course, and this is contributing extensively to the global endemic of super-bugs, resistant to treatment through antibiotics. The dairy industry has a lot to answer for. According to one report I read, in 2009 a litre of milk could legally contain up to 400 million pus cells in the UK! I believe this remains the current limit. 400 million?! In every litre?!

So why drink it? What’s the deal with ‘vegan milk’ anyhow? From personal experience, in a lot of cases non-vegans have some kind of aversion to vegan products precisely because they are vegan, whilst forgetting how many other foods they consume which are also vegan by default, such as fruits and vegetables. The important thing to realise is that no one has to drink cows’ milk. No one has to force themselves to believe that the truth about milk is some kind of defamatory campaign against the dairy industry solely spread by vegans and animal rights advocates in order to achieve their ultimate objectives. No one should feel that ‘vegan products’ are for committed animal-welfare vegans only.

There is a fantastic range of milk products available. They have always been there of course. One just has to think how familiar most of us are with coconut milk, a common ingredient in many Asian dishes. Soya milk has also traditionally been a staple ingredient of Asian cuisine. It may have been in use as early as the year 1200.

However the expansion of the ‘vegan market’ has certainly increased the visibility of these non-animal milks that have been used by some for centuries, and they are more widely available than ever before. Personally I have found that there is a wide variety of different milks available on the shelves of most UK supermarkets. Soya milk, rice milk and almond milk seem to be the favourites and you will now find all 3 of these natural products together on the shelves. In many cases there will be more than one brand to choose from!

Rice milk is my personal favourite, it’s lovely on most cereals and for me its lightness and sweet, delicate taste makes it the kind of milk I like to pour into a glass and drink for the sake of it, usually in an evening before bed.

I find I most cases soya milk is that bit thicker, a bit ‘heavier’. Again it’s great for cereal and it’s fantastic for making recipes that call for some type of milk, such as ‘cream of’ soups and it works wonders as a binder in baking.

For those worried about the nutritious qualities of these milks there is no need for concern. All brands come fortified with certain B vitamins. Soya milk for example also contains the same level of protein as cows’ milk, but without the saturated fat and cholesterol, and more importantly without the traces of antibiotics.

But all of these things are down to personal choice; whether you prefer soya milk, rice milk or almond milk, whether you prefer it sweetened or unsweetened, and finally which brands are your personal favourites. If you’re like me, you may go for different milks and different brands for different uses. And the best part? None of them contain blood, pus, antibiotics, or growth hormones! The choice is here and it’s here to stay!