Everyone knows that milk is good for you. It’s a great source of calcium, which helps develop strong bones and teeth, and also provides protein and other vitamins and minerals. M&S have developed a range of milk that is even better for you, because it is lower in saturated fat.

Milk and other dairy foods, such as yogurt and cheese, are an important source of calcium and protein in our diets and also provide some B vitamins.

Our body needs calcium to help build strong bones and teeth – we have around 1kg of calcium in our body, which is mainly stored in our bones. The calcium in milk is particularly good as it is easy for our body to absorb. Protein is needed for growth and repair, which is so important when we’re growing up, as our bodies go through periods of rapid growth and development. Milk and dairy products do contain some saturated fat but semi-skimmed and skimmed milk contain less than whole milk. Too much saturated fat in our diets can increase the risk of some health problems, such as becoming overweight or developing poor heart health.

How can M&S help?

 

We have launched a new Better For You milk range that is better for our customers, the farmers, the cows and the planet. Work on this range began over a year ago to research ways of naturally producing milk that was even better for you. Working

closely with our dairy farmers, we began our research by looking into ways of feeding cows with natural grasses and cereals to produce milk that was naturally lower in saturated fat.

By altering the cows’ diets using only wholesome ingredients (such as grass, maize silage, rapeseed and linseed), saturated fat levels were reduced and instead the milk had a higher level of the ‘good’ unsaturated fats.

With less saturated fat in their feed, the cows are also healthier and happier. Mark Robins, manager of Farley Farms, one of the dairy farms to trial this new diet, says: “We even noticed the cattle developing a ’bloom’; they actually looked healthier”. Together with the M&S Milk Pledge Plus, which guarantees our farmers a sustainable price for their milk for more than ten years, this milk is better for both the farmers and the cows.

The new Better For You milk contains less saturated fat than standard milk and, in just one year, it will remove 84 tonnes of saturated fat and 1,000 tonnes of palm oil, a crop with high environmental impact, from our liquid milk production. It’s better for the environment, the customer, the farmer and better for the cows too.