According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a 250 ml glass of whole milk from cows can provide a 5-6-year-old child with 48% of their protein requirements and 9% of calories and key micro-nutrients.
Milk also provides adults with calcium, magnesium, selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and vitamin B5.
While Nigerians appear to purchase milk based on this shared belief that it is nutritious, a growing percentage of the products labeled as milk in the country does not contain any protein or meet the vitamins and mineral requirements.
This further exacerbates the high rates of malnutrition in the country and underscores the urgent need to set and enforce standards, ensure appropriate labeling, educate consumers and unlock the potential in the local Nigerian dairy industry.
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) defines milk as the normal mammary secretion of milking animals obtained from one or more milking without either addition to it or extraction from it, intended for consumption as liquid milk or further processing.
Read more: Business Day
