News Milk consumption
Brits consume considerably less milk
British consumers drink only half the amount of milk they consumed in the 70s. Liquid milk consumption in England has fallen by 1974% since 50. This is evident from a new analysis from AHDB, which is committed to improving the sustainability of UK dairy farming.
According to the Defra Family Food Survey, the average population in 1974 consumed a total of 140 liters per year. This is converted about 2,7 liters per week. By 2018, this amount had fallen to 70 liters per year, or about 1,4 liters per week.
Cause of decline
The conducted research showed that the decrease can be linked to a reduced consumption of, for example, tea, coffee and breakfast cereals. The emergence of plant-based alternatives seems to reinforce this declining trend in cow's milk. Those alternatives accounted for 4,6% of the market in volume at the end of last year.
The amount of UK households still buying milk has remained largely unchanged. The survey shows that 98,5% still buy liquid milk. The decline in individual consumption levels was partly offset by population growth. As a result, the total sales volume of cow's milk decreased by only 1,5% between 2015 and 2019.
Marketing campaign
Based on the research, AHDB has announced that the digital marketing campaign will return soon for new activities. The campaign aims to change the attitude of young consumers so that they are more likely to continue to consume dairy products.
Rebecca Miah, head of dairy marketing at AHDB, said: "By targeting parents-to-be, we're influencing the next generation." AHDB also runs various activity programs to improve the image of dairy products with regard to animal welfare and the environment.
Dutch situation
In the Netherlands, too, the consumption of milk has fallen sharply in recent years. In 2012, total milk consumption still amounted to 1,13 billion liters, while in 2018 this fell to 975 million liters. Proportionally, women drink less milk than men. This is evident from the figures of the RIVM research agency.
Chanti Oussoren
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