School Milk Week 10-14th October 2005

[SophieFP]

this coming week is School Milk Week. See:
http://www.schoolmilk.co.uk/news.asp

Those of us with dairy-free kids at school might want some back up.

If you've got the Vegan Society's "Dying for the White Stuff" and/or their "Why Vegan" booklet, your kid might find it handy to have these to hand - see what they think. You can also download them and print them out:
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/publications/leaflets.php

and there's much more back-up info on the site too, including this on Calcium:
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/calcium.php

Viva! are doing a campaign on this which might work well for older and activist kids. See:
http://www.milkmyths.org.uk/media/2005_10_06.php

The parents and teachers who encourage cow's milk at school are only doing it because they believe it is healthy for kids. Plus it's free, and all free stuff tends to be welcome. The commercial interests behind it are more suspect (advertising of anything in schools gives me concern), but we can still be polite and informative so we get listened to.

Good luck!

Sophie

[Gliondrach]

Good links there, Sophie,

I didn't know that free milk was still provided in schools. When I was at school, McDermott, my partner in crime, and I used to take three or four bottles a day. At break time we would dash to where the milk crates were and take two bottles each - as if getting an extra one for a friend. We'd put them in foot lockers and then go back for one or two more. Then we'd gulp them down before going out to the yard.

[SophieFP]

Yup - they certainly still do it everywhere, it got revived. In apple-juice style cartons now.

It will be the second time in about 6 months our daughter will get a lecture in assembly by a visitor decrying the misguided glories of cow's milk, with no mention of the increased health risks or alternatives, let alone the lack of compassion involved. She's only 5, so it's hard for her to speak up as a voice amongst hundreds, though she knows her stuff.

If anyone else has got links to useful sites that would be great - as this comes up again and again for parents of school kids.

[Gliondrach]

Here are a few interesting sites:

http://www.naturalchild.com/guest/linda_folden_palmer.html

http://www.rense.com/general26/milk.htm

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/dairy/facts/danger.htm

http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html

http://www.veg.ca/issues/dairy.html

http://www.vegparadise.com/otherbirds53.html

[Gorilla]

makes me glad i don't have kids. i see they're going to be giving out free fish oil to kids in schools as well. :(

[Pob]

I sent in a question to the School Milk Project asking whether the promotions covered soya milk as well.

Surely if not they are at the least discriminating against many ethnic groups that cannot drink milk. Although to be fair, are you being discriminated against if you get to miss out on the poison ;)

[gertvegan]

Ban kids' milk row

The Sun (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005470059,00.html)

A PRESSURE group has launched a campaign to BAN milk in schools.

The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation (http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/) claims School Milk Week beginning today is a “thinly veiled marketing ploy”.

Dr Justine Butler, of the VVF, alleged milk was harmful. She added: “Such methods have been used in schools by burger-selling multi-nationals to peddle wares.”

But her claims were RUBBISHED by experts last night.

Dietician Amanda Urcell, of Oxford Brookes University, said: “I’m astonished at this.

“Milk is full of proteins, calcium and vitamins. It is an excellent source of goodness.”

[catalina]

Ban kids' milk row

The Sun (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005470059,00.html)

A PRESSURE group has launched a campaign to BAN milk in schools.

The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation (http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/) claims School Milk Week beginning today is a “thinly veiled marketing ploy”.

Dr Justine Butler, of the VVF, alleged milk was harmful. She added: “Such methods have been used in schools by burger-selling multi-nationals to peddle wares.”

But her claims were RUBBISHED by experts last night.

Dietician Amanda Urcell, of Oxford Brookes University, said: “I’m astonished at this.

“Milk is full of proteins, calcium and vitamins. It is an excellent source of goodness.”

Sigh.

[Gorilla]

what else can you expect from The Sun?!!! :p

[Pilaf]

a "Milk Week" is the perfect time to aggressively distrubute anti-milk pamphlets, web links and information, I should think.

[princessemma]

It's not fair we are told so often 'not to force our opinions on anyone and yet they can force their opinions on us even our children. I am so sick of having advertising for meat shoved through my letterbox and I swear if I see the cravendale milk advert once more I won't be responsible for my actions. Surely that advert is taking the mickey out of the poor animals and making fun of our beliefs.