Have you seen the recent Got Milk commercial? It's called The Board of Unnecessary. A rich corporate owner/Chairman of the Board is seeking ideas from his Board members (all appearing to be old unnecessary men) on what to do with his money.
Most of the ideas are quite humorous - turning the internet into a book (rejected by because it was too practical), and continuing to (literally) burn his money (dismissed as too easy).
If money were no object, what would you do?
The third suggestion, by unnamed old man in a suit, is to "make milk out of something other than cows, like beans... or nuts." (An obvious slam on soymilk and almond milk.) An obivously unhealthy man breathing with a respiratory treatment protests in a murmur, "But milk comes from cows!"
"That's the idea..." he replies.
The Chairman's eyes light up. Presto! The Board has discovered the perfect cause to waste bushels of money on!
No, I'm sorry, milk alternatives are quite necessary.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, and it's estimated 90% of Asian-Americans and 75% of Native- and African-Americans suffer from the condition.(1) And around 7.3 million adults in the U.S. are vegetarian or vegans.(2) Combined, that's up to 57.3 million people who shouldn't, can't, or won't drink milk. Many of those poeple may choose to drink an alternative milk, like soymilk, almond milk, or rice milk, et al.
I do.
In 2011 the Dairy-Alternate industry has estimated to have done $1.33 billion in retail sales.(3)
With a wave of the Calfornia Milk Processors Board's hand, millions of people buying non-dairy milk, and the industry, are reduced to "unnecessary!" This statement is insulting at worst, half-baked at best.
Sorry, gentlemen. You missed the mark on this one. Maybe you should burn money by researching the impact of cow flatulence on the atmosphere!
Great post - it kills me how the meat and dairy industry skew everything in their favor. As a vegetarian, I get so frustrated that we get totally forgotten to the general consumer world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for speaking up.