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PUBLISHED ON: 1 April 2011
PolyMilk purportedly aims to capitalise on the current volatility of the dairy industry and increase on-farm profits for its participating producers. However, it also poses significant animal welfare concerns for several thousand animals used in its production.
According to Adam de Bianco, marketing manager for PolyMilk Australia, "The recent milk price wars between the major supermarkets have left many farmers uncertain about their future. Add to that recent public campaigns about bobby calves and we were beginning to think that producing cow's milk alone may hold an uncertain future. So we're starting to diversify."
What began as a research development program to explore milk production from other on-farm animals, including pigs, horses, sheep and even dogs, has led to the first stages of a small-scale commercial production.
"While we've started with a homogenized inter-species blend — in part due to supply limitations, and in part due to the enriched flavour — we're not ruling out the possibility of specialised 'mono milk' species lines once production levels increase. Focus groups suggest demand for pig and horse milk in particular could be rapid growth areas." said de Bianco.
Much like dairy from cows, any commercial production of milk from other species poses significant welfare risks to the animals involved. As Animals Australia's recent campaign to expose the slaughter of some 700,000 'bobby calves' each year demonstrated, often it is the unwanted offspring of milk producing animals that suffer most. Requests to publicly disclose on product packaging the fate of the offspring of animals used to produce PolyMilk have been repeatedly denied.
Animals Australia is urging consumers who see PolyMilk in their local supermarket to contact us, as well as to politely ask their supermarket manager to refuse to continue stocking the new brand.
