A growing population challenges food supplies worldwide. The demand for yogurt and milk products is rising, as nutrient-dense foods are crucial to support nutrient security in the future. Yogurt contains high-quality proteins, which is a decisive macronutrient in this matter. Meta-analyses suggest that dairy consumption reduces the risk for chronic diseases and the health care costs.
Efficient yogurt production
The Food & Agricultural Organization (FOA) estimates that the demand for milk will increase from currently 700 to over 1000 billion kg in 2050. Improving efficiency in the dairy chain requires a nutritional and environmental impact: Increased productivity of dairy cows for protein-rich milk and reduced greenhouse gas emissions while processing.
Conversion into nutrient rich milk
According to Dutch research, cows are efficient convertors of human-inedible resources (low-quality proteins in grains and soy) into nutrient-dense milk and yogurt, containing essential micro-nutrients and high-quality proteins. The energy and protein efficiency of a dairy cow is already up to 25% with a return of 400% for the human-edible part.