There is growing awareness about food safety and food production practices in the United States, including milk and dairy products. Issues include animal treatment, safety in dairy product processing, and other steps between the farm and the table. Michigan State University Assistant Professor Jennifer Roberts, DVM, is working to educate the public about the dairy production process. To do that, she has reached out to “Mommy Bloggers.”

“Educating the public about the dairy production process is a really effective way to address concerns about the safety of dairy products,” said Dr. Roberts. “Increasingly, mothers who blog are an important source of information about nutrition, food, and food safety, so it seems logical to speak directly to them.”

To launch this educational campaign, Dr. Roberts, sponsored by the Michigan Agricultural Council, accompanied a group of bloggers through the milk production process to demonstrate how dairy products are produced—from the cow to the shelf.

“We started at Horning’s Dairy Farm in Manchester, Michigan,” said Dr. Roberts. “We toured the milking parlor, free-stall barn, and calves area. The bloggers got to see how well the animals are cared for and speak with the owner of the farm. The group had questions about farms in general, and I’m very comfortable saying that the farms that I’ve worked with do everything they can to ensure that the animals are well cared for and healthy,” she said. “Farmers are genuinely concerned with the well-being of animals—and healthy cows are better producers.”

Following their visit to the dairy farm, the bloggers continued on to see the pasteurization process and tour a bottling facility. “They’ve read a lot about raw milk, and weren’t sure about that information and why people would choose to drink raw milk over pasteurized milk,” said Dr. Roberts. “After seeing the process, they said that they didn’t see any reason why pasteurization would be a bad thing.” The tour wrapped up in the dairy section of a grocery store.

One of the major roles of a food animal veterinarian is to ensure the safety of the dairy products that reach the consumer. As a mother and veterinarian, Dr. Roberts takes this responsibility seriously. “I have two young children who drink milk and eat cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, and of course, ice cream,” she laughs. “I would recommend that you buy any dairy product that is labeled as homogenized and pasteurized from any reputable retailer. Dairy is an important part of any child’s diet.”

Dr. Roberts hopes to continue providing the farm-to-shelf tours to bloggers. The goal of the program is to have the bloggers reach their followers with an informed view, and to educate the general population.

Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine is a world-renowned, accredited institute of veterinary education. The College continuously provides diverse academic opportunities to cultivate great scholars and better people. Advancing the art and science of veterinary medicine every day, MSU CVM is aided by research and is available to the public for the advancement of human and animal health. With more than 100 years of teaching excellence, CVM continues to prepare leaders, life-savers, and world changers to meet the challenges of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

November 15, 2012