The dairy industry should not dabble too much in myths because it gives them too much air time, dietician Orla Walsh told the audience at Dairy Day on Tuesday. She said the focus on animal fats in the diet will not last forever.
“It’s a fad, it’s going to die. There was a fad on fats, that’s gone. There was a fad on carbohydrates and gluten, that’s gone. Now people are moving on to animal fats. The truth behind dairy is never going to go away, so it is just a temporary fad at the moment.”
She says the two ways to motivate people to eat dairy is:
Positive motivation: this depends on who you are talking to as everyone has a different motivation in life. If you look at the person you are talking to and they are into sports, then tell them about how dairy is a natural source of whey and casein. Scare tactics: milk reduces our risk of heart disease. Milk, yoghurt and cheese is good for us. When you think of diseases we are scared of, such as diabetes or heart disease, dairy also has a role there. “People associate dairy with bone health but it goes beyond that,” Walsh said. “It is a recovery drink from sports, a source of iodine, a great source of vitamin B12, B2 which is needed for blood pressure. It’s nearly a multi-vitamin drink which is rehydrating with multiple nutritional benefits.”
Dairy is an all in one. It couldn’t be better for you and we should all be consuming it three times a day
The National Dairy Council (NDC) has developed an app, Dairy Reputations, which provides farmers with the answers to some of the questions they face on dairy nutrition and the industry.
The NDC is also partnering with other dairy councils to improve the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of positive dairy messaging.
“There was a certain lobby group from outside Ireland that had a fairly robust exchange on social media with us for a few weeks,” Teddy Cashman, chair of the NDC, said.
“You have to be equipped to respond and to navigate the process.”
Social media influencers
There are many social media influencers weighing in with their opinions on dairy but Walsh says most of these are “unqualified people, who are pretty, spreading misinformed messages. They are getting money to promote a product and they don’t know what the impact they will have is.
“I worry about the health of our millennials. Dairy is an all in one. It couldn’t be better for you and we should all be consuming it three times a day.”
Cashel Blue cheese producer Sarah Furno says that when she is talking to customers provenance is a much easier sell over health benefits.
Insecurity
“People are very insecure about their food chain now. Education is key and we deal with concerns around fats and body image also,” Furno said.
“I’d much prefer to see someone coming in after a night out looking for the tin of crackers and cheeses than a readymade meal.”
The dairy industry should not dabble too much in myths because it gives them too much air time, dietician Orla Walsh told the audience at Dairy Day on Tuesday. She said the focus on animal fats in the diet will not last forever.
“It’s a fad, it’s going to die. There was a fad on fats, that’s gone. There was a fad on carbohydrates and gluten, that’s gone. Now people are moving on to animal fats. The truth behind dairy is never going to go away, so it is just a temporary fad at the moment.”
She says the two ways to motivate people to eat dairy is:
Positive motivation: this depends on who you are talking to as everyone has a different motivation in life. If you look at the person you are talking to and they are into sports, then tell them about how dairy is a natural source of whey and casein. Scare tactics: milk reduces our risk of heart disease. Milk, yoghurt and cheese is good for us. When you think of diseases we are scared of, such as diabetes or heart disease, dairy also has a role there. “People associate dairy with bone health but it goes beyond that,” Walsh said. “It is a recovery drink from sports, a source of iodine, a great source of vitamin B12, B2 which is needed for blood pressure. It’s nearly a multi-vitamin drink which is rehydrating with multiple nutritional benefits.”
Dairy is an all in one. It couldn’t be better for you and we should all be consuming it three times a day
The National Dairy Council (NDC) has developed an app, Dairy Reputations, which provides farmers with the answers to some of the questions they face on dairy nutrition and the industry.
The NDC is also partnering with other dairy councils to improve the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of positive dairy messaging.
“There was a certain lobby group from outside Ireland that had a fairly robust exchange on social media with us for a few weeks,” Teddy Cashman, chair of the NDC, said.
“You have to be equipped to respond and to navigate the process.”
Social media influencers
There are many social media influencers weighing in with their opinions on dairy but Walsh says most of these are “unqualified people, who are pretty, spreading misinformed messages. They are getting money to promote a product and they don’t know what the impact they will have is.
“I worry about the health of our millennials. Dairy is an all in one. It couldn’t be better for you and we should all be consuming it three times a day.”
Cashel Blue cheese producer Sarah Furno says that when she is talking to customers provenance is a much easier sell over health benefits.
Insecurity
“People are very insecure about their food chain now. Education is key and we deal with concerns around fats and body image also,” Furno said.
“I’d much prefer to see someone coming in after a night out looking for the tin of crackers and cheeses than a readymade meal.”
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