Abstract #139

# 139
Vision on milk and dairy products and human health towards 2030.
A. L. Lock*1, D. E. Bauman2, 1Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 2Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

An adequate supply of good quality food is essential for human health and well-being and milk and dairy products have been recognized as important human food sources from as early as 4000 BC. The important contributions of dairy products in meeting requirements for energy, high quality protein, and several key minerals and vitamins are well documented, although the nutritional importance of dairy fats is often less well understood. Dietary guidelines around the world recommend daily consumption of dairy products for the overall health of the population. The dairy sector has made continuous advancement over the years and today we have a wide variety of dairy products available to the consumer. There is growing consumer recognition of the link between diet and health and this awareness will continue to impact food choices. New research and re-evaluation of previous research questions long-held dogma on the relationship between milk fat and human health; whether we need to alter milk fatty acid composition to improve human health will be challenged in the future. There will be increased consumer acceptance of full-fat dairy products and a growing recognition among the nutrition community that consumption of dairy products is associated with chronic health benefits including reduced risk of cardio-vascular disease and type-2 diabetes. Emerging evidence will continue to show that several minor components in milk also have health benefits. The nutritional value of non-dairy beverages (milks) and how they compare with dairy products will be challenged. Potential effects of different agricultural production practices on product quality and health outcomes will be of importance. An increased awareness of the concept of nutritional quality of food products in relation to environmental sustainability will further highlight an important role for dairy products in sustainable diets. With the projected growth in world population and the increased demand for animal-derived food products as living standards improve, dairy products will continue to be an important dietary source of essential nutrients and bioactive components. We emphasize that all dairy products are an excellent source of nutrients for health maintenance and disease prevention.

Key Words: human health, dairy product, milk fat

Speaker Bio
I am an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University. Originally from a dairy farm in the southwest of the United Kingdom, I received my PhD from the University of Nottingham and completed a post-doc at that institution as well as at Cornell University. I had a research and teaching appointment at the University of Vermont from 2006 to 2009 before moving to my current research and extension appointment at Michigan State University in the fall of 2009. My research and extension programs focus on both dairy production and human nutrition and health, and the interface between these two disciplines. The central theme is fatty acid digestion and metabolism in the dairy cow and the impact of bioactive fatty acids on animal production and human health. Current efforts concern the effect of diet on the production of biohydrogenation intermediates in the rumen, dietary strategies for maximizing milk fat synthesis, applying this knowledge to improve our ability to troubleshoot on farm issues related to milk fat depression, fatty acid absorption in the small intestine, fat supplementation opportunities, and the potential for omega-3 fatty acids to promote dairy cattle metabolism and health. The impact of milk and dairy products on human health, in particular the role of milk fat is also of special interest.