Product Quality

To ensure the quality of Canadian milk products, all producers must conform with Canadian regulations and Health Canada’s decisions regarding antibiotics, hormones and more.

Cows and Hormones

Are artificial growth hormones allowed in Canada to increase cows’ milk production?

No. Growth hormones, such as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), have not been approved for use in Canada. No synthetic hormones are used in the production of milk in this country.

Keywords: bovine growth hormone

Antibiotics

Are there antibiotics in milk?
No. Dairy regulations are very clear. Milk undergoes strict testing to ensure its high quality, including the absence of antibiotic residue.
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Raw Milk

Does pasteurization destroy the nutritional properties of milk? Is it healthier to consume raw milk?
Pasteurization has very little impact on the nutritional value of milk and is essential to preserve its safety. All milk in Canada must be pasteurized. It is illegal to sell or buy raw milk.
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Portable Milk

Some milk products don’t require refrigeration. How is that possible?
UHT pasteurization and aseptic packaging allows milk to be kept at room temperature.
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Organic Milk

Is organic milk healthier than conventional milk?
There is inadequate research to indicate that one milk product choice is healthier than the other.^1-3 Both regular and organic milk are healthy choices.
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"Facts & Fallacies" Keywords

What's New

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This year the campaign invites Canadians to celebrate food - right from where it’s grown and harvested all the way to delicious and healthy food on our tables.
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Milk Products and Kidney Stones

Evidence from prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews indicates that an adequate or higher consumption of milk products and dietary calcium in particular does not increase the risk of developing kidney stones.
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Synopsis: Bone Health and Osteoporosis

Milk product consumption is recognized as a key factor in bone health and in the prevention of osteoporosis. There is very good evidence that calcium and vitamin D, two essential components of milk,...
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Healthy Weight: Research Synopsis

Large population studies, randomized controlled trials and mechanistic studies in humans support a beneficial role for adequate or higher intakes of milk products, as part of a healthy diet, in...
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Milk Products and the Prevention of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in males and females and the second leading cause of mortality in the Western World. It has been estimated that in Canada in 2009, a total of 22,000...
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Roles of Vitamin D

Vitamin D has been recognized for a long time for its role in bone development and maintenance. However, advances in research indicate that the benefits of this liposoluble vitamin go beyond bone...
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Effects of Drinking Milk Following Exercise

Although there is no scientific basis for the commonly held belief that adults require eight to 10 glasses of water daily, liquids do need to be consumed before, during and after physical activity to support adequate hydration and replace fluid and electrolytes lost through perspiration.
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Chocolate Milk and Post Exercise Recovery

Although there is no scientific basis for the commonly held belief that adults require eight to 10 glasses of water daily, liquids do need to be consumed before, during and after physical activity to...
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