World Milk Day 2014
VLAM to hand out milk cartons on World Milk Day
On the 1 June VLAM (Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board) will be distributing milk in locations all over Flanders. The objective is to enhance the impact of the campaign slogan ‘Milk, a force of nature’. The milk commercial will be broadcast on TV for two weeks.
The VLAM milk promotional team will treat 50,000 visitors to a refreshing milk drink on 1 June. VLAM will set up a special stand at 10 locations. In addition to a chilled brik carton of semi-skimmed milk printed all over with the campaign image, the visitors will also receive a flyer explaining the benefits of milk. But there is more: each visitor will also be invited to be photographed in a specially mounted background of grazing cows and thus experience the campaign message ‘milk, a force of nature’. Children can test their strength together with an adult and have a duo photograph made.
Photographs will be printed immediately on a special postcard. What a nice souvenir for the visitor who braves a photo shoot! He or she will also receive the photograph digitally and may, for example, use it to adapt his/her Facebook profile. In this way the pleasant milk experience will be visible to a wider audience. All participants’ photographs will also be exhibited locally in a photo gallery.
Focus on young women
VLAM hopes to reach young women (with children) though this milk distribution. The locations that are opted for are those frequented by the public on Sundays, e.g. cinemas, provincial domains and leisure parks. The exact choice of the locations will be attuned to the expected weather. For more information on the locations, visit www.milkaforceofnature.be. Or read the ‘Zondagskrant’ on Sunday 1 June, which you can get at any baker’s. On 28 May the Metro newspaper also will inform readers about the event.
Television campaign
June 1 is also the starting date of the spring television campaign. For a two week period, the milk knights will again be seen in a 20-second commercial on één, VTM, 2BE, Vier, Acht and Vitaya. The commercial shows sturdy knights in a whirling milk-engulfed landscape, fading into a full glass of milk which at the end is drunk by a teenager.
The target group is drinking more milk
Previous research showed that the milk campaign scores well on recognition. The TV commercial enjoys great appreciation and the campaign message appears to be very clear. In addition, consumer data confirm that the campaign is effective in the target group, namely 18-44 year-old-women (with or without children). Flemish families in which the household purchaser is younger than 40 bought almost 5% more milk than in 2012 and bought milk more often as well.
Campaign in seven countries
The milk campaign is running in seven European countries (Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland and Austria) and 50% of it is financed by the European Union. The common message is that milk fits in well with a varied and balanced nutritional diet and a healthy lifestyle. And this because of the unique potent mixture of essential nutrients.
In the Czech Republic, World Milk Day has been celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of the month of May since 1957. This year, the celebration will take place on Tuesday, May 27.
Plans for the world milk day 2014
In the middle of a beautiful historic monastery Břevnov in Prague, a grand “Celebration of Milk” with the participation of about 250 dairy farmers, milk processors, traders, professional schools, research institutes, journalists and representatives of consumers and other guests has been organized.
We will start with a welcome drink with milk drinks and serving cheese snacks. Our event will be opened by the Minister of Agriculture. There will be speeches by the president of Agricultural and Food Chamber and our foreign guest will be the Secretary General of the EDA, Mr. Alexander Anton, who will give a lecture on the Dynamics of European and Czech dairy industry.

The head physician of Prague´s biggest hospital, Dpt. Nutrition and Health, will deliver a speech on the importance of milk and dairy products in the prevention of osteoporosis.
In addition, there will be talks about the promotion of exports of Czech dairy products to 3rd countries.
Dairy Product of 2014
The highlight of our gala event, we will announce the “Dairy Product of 2014 ” in six product categories and will also award the best “News of the year” (for white and yellow cheese lines). Journalists will also give a prize for the best product (Media-Award).
This festive afternoon will be moderated by Mr. Jiri Kopacek, president of the Czech-Moravian Dairy Association and president of the Czech Committee of IDF together with Mrs.Šustova, associated (dairy) professor from Mendel University in Brno.
Similar activities to celebrate World Milk Day are also taking place in vocational schools and in many dairies.
Plans for World Milk Day 2014
In Finland, World Milk Day will be celebrated on 27 May.
Milk Morning
The Finnish National Committee of IDF will hold a two-hour session entitled “Milk morning” for interest groups and media. The theme will be “Our milk” covering aspects of the importance of milk and dairy to Finland and the proteins in milk.
Milk Maid
The new Milk Maid will be announced. The Milk Maid is a traditional figure of the Finnish Dairy Nutrition Council, spreading the word of good nutrition and milk being part of it. Through nutrition education, the Milk Maid (being an authorized nutritionist) is an excellent messenger for Dairy Nutrition Council. This year she has visited, for example, primary schools, working places and maternity and child welfare clinics informing about the importance of milk in the diet. (photos available in a separate mail)
Media activities
A press release about the Milk made and another about the Milk morning and World Milk Day will be sent, as well as Tweets.
Plans for World Milk Day 2014
The liquid milk sector will organize a national event for the 14th World Milk Day on 1 June. Around ten liquid milk factories across France will open their doors to the public. Different activities will be organized by factories, including a visit of the factory; educational presentations of the sector’s upstream process; games for young people and a milk bar with innovative flavours. The National Interbranch Organisation (CNIEL) will participate by providing different tools to be used or given out (documentation; posters ;….).
In order to ensure the visibility of all these openings, several press events will be organized at national and local level:
- A national press conference to promote this 14th World Milk Day and all positive aspects of liquid milk (nutrition; how to consume it;…). A leaflet and press release have been issued for further information (available in French), plus you can visit www.journeemondialedulait.fr
- A press trip is offered to journalists to visit a farm and a liquid milk factory.
All activities aim at promoting the benefits of milk with these different aspects.
PLANS FOR THE World Milk Day 2014 – Internationaler Tag der Milch
Slogan: Discover Milk – Enjoy consciously!
Date: Sunday, 1. June 2014
Location: Landesgartenschau Deggendorf, Ackerloh / Horticultural Show in Deggendorf, Germany
Highlights:
• Huge cheese cake, 2.2 meters in diameter!
• Guests: Cabaret Artist Wolfgang Krebs, Bavarian Dairy Queen and Princess
Programme:
10.30: Welcome at the Ackerloh Stage by Günther Felßner, Chairman of the Bavarian Dairy Association (Landesvereinigung der Bayerischen Milchwirtschaft). Presentation of the collected Bavarian specialties by Bavarian Dairy Queen and Princess
13.00: Cabaret by Wolfgang Krebs
13.30: Cutting of the huge cheese cake by Wolfgang Krebs
From 13.30: One piece of the cheese cake and a cup of coffee for all guests (while stocks last!)
Whole Day: Shakes at the Milk bar, Information about milk and playgrounds for kids
Presented by: Bavarian Dairy Association (Landesvereinigung der Bayerischen Milchwirtschaft)
Further information on www.milchland-bayern.de


International Milk Day, June 1st, 2013, on the grounds of the Garden Show in Tirschenreuth
Programme:
11.00 – 17.00 h: Family day – milk course (play stations focussing the subject “milk”), a milk bar and stands of three regional dairies.
11.00 – 17.00 h Presentation of Bavarian cheese variety with an exhibition of 180 cheeses
11.00 – 17.00 h: Games, fun and facts all about milk
13.00 – 15.30 h: Milk course Competition
14.00 h: Presentation and dégustation of three types of cheese by Josef Stemmer, dairy specialist, Bavarian Dairy Association
Special Guests:
VIPs (agriculture and dairy industry)
Bavarian Dairy Queen and Bavarian Dairy Princess
Celebrating World Milk Day 2014
This year the National Dairy Council would like to remind people of the importance of milk as a source of calcium and protein – both of which contribute to the growth, development and maintenance of our bones.
Bone: A Living Tissue

We may perceive our bones as being very rigid, but, in fact, bone is a living tissue which is constantly rebuilding and renewing – with specific lifestages of significance importance.
“Young childhood and the adolescent years are critical lifestages in terms of bone development, with approximately half of an adult’s bone mass accumulating during the short time-frame of adolescence,” says Dr. Miriam Casey, Consultant Physician at St. James’s Hospital with a special interest in Osteoporosis.
“Following the achievement of peak bone mass (majority of which is reached by the late teens and the remainder in young adulthood), bone mass remains relatively stable for some time. However as adults, we need to remember that our bones continue to constantly evolve and remodel with old bone broken down and replaced by new bone.”
Dr. Casey explains that in females the reduction in oestrogen levels at the time of the menopause leads to an increased rate of bone breakdown over bone formation and can result in bone loss. In men this increased rate of bone breakdown occurs later usually in those aged 70 years and older. Furthermore in older people the rate of bone formation actually declines, resulting in age-related bone loss and, hence, bone health is a particular concern as we age and later in life.
“Bone health is often over-shadowed by other aspects of health, perhaps even taken for granted until you or someone you know suffers a fracture,” says Dr. Casey. “Coined ‘a silent disease’, osteoporosis causes bone to become brittle and fragile, increasing the risk of fracture. It is estimated that osteoporosis affects over 200 million people worldwide. Hip fracture is one of the most serious associated concerns with significant mortality rates and the risk of this event increases with age.
Irish Research
Dr Casey is the Principal Investigator on the Bone arm of a cross border study known as ‘TUDA’.
The TUDA study is a North-South research collaboration, involving Trinity College, the University of Ulster and the Department of Agriculture, where the latter invested €1.8m into funding this study of 6000 older subjects. Dr Miriam Casey explains that the aim of the bone element of this study is to explore the impact of various factors on bone health, including nutrition, diet and genetic profile, among people aged 60 years and over who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Importance of Nutrition
“To date, over 1,400 people have been recruited onto the TUDA bone study. Using dietary questionnaires and other measurements we now have an insight into the dietary habits and nutritional status of this population group,” says Dr Casey.
“A balanced diet is essential for bone health and while we can’t quantify the total intake of specific foods from this study, some very interesting dietary trends from the current data have been noted.”
“Nutrition and dietary advice is a critical part of the treatment plan for osteoporosis. Dietary supplements, primarily calcium and vitamin D, are often recommended, but forgetting to take the supplements or not taking as advised is a major problem. This supports the need for a more food-orientated approach to help patients achieve their overall nutritional requirements,” says Dr Casey.
Lifestyle
As well as natural age-related bone loss, lifestyle changes among the elderly can work against bone health. For example, impaired mobility as we age may reduce the likelihood of sun holidays (which can impact vitamin D status as sunlight is involved in the production of vitamin D), there is also a likelihood of lower levels of engagement in weight-bearing activities (such activities can benefit bone health). Also, certain medication can negatively influence bone and, in general, reliance on medication increases with age.
“In this context, addressing other ‘controllable’ factors, which can positively influence the bone matrix – such as nutrition – is very important as we mature,” says Dr Casey.
Read the full story here…