I subscribe to a public radio newsletter (Marketplace). It mentioned the Land o' Lakes bankruptcy. I thought the following "By the Numbers" facts were interesting:

26%--how much milk consumption has declined

1.6 billion: money brought in by "alternative milk" products.

While some people have milk allergies or are lactose intolerant, and some may be vegan, I wonder if this is the equivalent of the carbohydrate scare that that shook up the bakery industry a few years ago. I've been surprised at the number of alternative "milks" at Aldi's and Kroger, even as I have to scrounge to find buttermilk. Most of the alternative "milks" don't have the calcium content of regular milk.

I'm wondering why butter is having such a hard time. I had to give it up, almost completely, due to high cholesterol, but most of the dessert recipes out there are rolling in butter.

I hope Land o' Lakes light butter-canola spread continues to be available because I don't see another option for me.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.

More about Deans and the changing milk market:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/01/dairy-farmers-are-struggling-as-they-are-squeezed-out-of-a-changing-milk-market.html?utm_campaign=MMS_Newsletter_20191115&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc_Newsletter&utm_content=The%20end%20of%20cereal%20monogamy

In many ways, what happened to Dean Foods is a result of decades of government interference in and mismanagement of agricultural markets. The current shift to plant-based foods increased the pressure. And interestingly enough, it was probably a more recent market disrupter, WalMart, that provided the final blow. When they set up their own internal dairy production system and dropped Dean Foods as a supplier, Dean Foods was left with too many supplier contracts and not enough markets to absorb the excess product in a heavily regulated marketplace.

Aaron makes a good point about fat in that we know that there are different kinds of fat and that to some extent it depends on individual physiology, age, and perhaps gender. Heart disease is actually the leading cause of death for women.

I'm still shocked that my cholesterol was so high, and that while cutting out most saturated fat (i.e.--staying below 11 grams per day) dropped it significantly, it's still high. My rule of thumb is that if I am going to eat an item with saturated fat, it must have other important vitamins and minerals. Thus, I have not cut out eggs or olive oil or canola oil or 1% milk, but I cut my butter consumption to a tiny amount. (I also gave up chocolate candies, tortilla chips, chicken skin.) When I bake, I use canola or olive oil, and occasionally, I use grapeseed oil for a more neutral taste. I tried nonfat regular yogurt, but I cannot get one here that does not have additives to thicken it, and the taste is not so great. I can get Chobani nonfat Greek yogurt, which does not have the additives and tastes good.

One of my concerns about the collapse of dairy--and a public perception that dairy is "bad,"--is that calcium is needed for bone development, and I wonder if the plant-based "milk" drinkers will be having issues with that down the road.

I've bought butter at Sams, it doesn't seem any better or worse than house brands at the grocery store. I was never all that impressed with LOL butter over other brands, the European ones are different, higher fat and somewhat different taste, probably because the cream is cultured before it is churned. (Higher fat is controlled by how much buttermilk you press out, in the USA I think it has to be a minimum of 80% butterfat and most dairies aren't going to go higher unless they can charge a higher price for it.)

The PBS News Hour reported last night that Borden's has filed for bankruptcy. That's another major dairy organization.

Meanwhile, the Bon Appetit staff, in their January cooking month e-mail specials, are emphasizing little or no dairy as a way to "save the planet." While I don't mind having recipes that don't rely so heavily on cheese and butter, I'm not sure their alternative choices are superior, either nutritionally or in terms of saving the planet. (Almonds for example require a lot of water to grow, and almond milk wastes a good deal of the nut.) I wish that they would also look at the need for calcium in the diet, and if they want to do no dairy, make a concerted effort to insure that calcium needs are met with as little supplementation as necessary.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by BakerAunt.

What is truth these days? The power of the media is ridiculous. So sad that we believe and regurgitate whatever is printed on the internet. Oh well I guess that's life!