An advert stating that “Humane milk is a myth” has been cleared by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after complaints from members of the dairy industry stated that it was inaccurate and misleading.

In February of this year, a national newspaper ad for Go Vegan World, a vegan campaign group, featured a photo of a cow behind barbed wire with the headline “Humane milk is a myth. Don’t buy it.”

Underneath the advert in small texts, it states, “I went vegan the day I visited a dairy. The mothers, still bloody from birth, searched and called frantically for their babies.”

The complainants stated that the advert didn’t accurately describe the manner in which the dairy cattle are treated in the UK and they challenged the claim that  “Humane milk is a myth” along with claims that this was misleading and could not be substantiated.

Go Vegan World stated that baby cows appear “fresh from their mothers’ wombs” and this is commonly understood as referring to a young infant or neonate. In the dairy industry, this neonatal period is defined as being within the first 28 days of life. Within this time, calves are especially vulnerable to illnesses and are in need of their mother’s care.

The vegan group want to highlight to consumers that calves are separated from their mothers at an early stage following birth. The ASA understood the complainants were concerned that this implied the dairy farms didn’t comply with animal welfare standards within the UK and that milk production was therefore “inhumane” in this sense.

The ASA claimed that “Although the language used to express the claims was emotional and hard-hitting, we understood it was the case that calves were generally separated from their mothers very soon after birth, and we therefore concluded that the ad was unlikely to materially mislead readers.”

The authority also concluded the ad wouldn’t be misleading to consumers, and this didn’t breach advertising rules. go Vegan World states that ASA’s decision represented a “landmark ruling” and that the complainants had “entirely missed the point of the ad”.

The ad makes it clear that the issue is more to do with the fact that dairy is inherently inhumane, regardless of its compliance with welfare regulations.

Health Reasons To Ditch Dairy

Asides from the ethical reasons, there are many good health reasons to ditch dairy from your diet. Consider the following…

Milk Is A Chemical Cocktail

Dairy products contain steroids, hormones, fungicides, fertilizers, antibiotics, pesticides, veterinary medications, synthetic preservatives, additives and white blood cells (pus).

Contains Casein

Casomorphins are formed in the brain from eating or drinking dairy products. These create opiate-like substances that produce a state of euphoria, giving you a physical need for more dairy. The only way to break free of this addictive cycle is to cut out dairy completely.

Fed on GMO Feed

Cows like most animals may be fed on genetically modified feed which are allowed under EU rules. If you want to eat clean then at least choose organic or paleo reared.

Milk Isn’t Necessary For Healthy Bones

Dairy isn’t necessary for healthy bones. There are meany healthy plant-based sources of calcium that can be both alkalizing and supportive of bone health. Foods such as broccoli, kale, leafy green vegetables, tofu, tahini, almonds, sesame seeds and fortified plant milks all contain adequate amounts of calcium that meet the recommended daily requirements.

Choose From A Wide Variety Of Plant Based Milks…

Nowadays there are many delicious tasting plant based milks to choose from. Almond, coconut, hemp, oat, rice, flax, soy…there is a world of different varieties available that are fortified with vitamins and minerals including calcium and iron to support good health.  Check out some of the healthiest plant based milks to enjoy here.