Milk consumption decreases in the Netherlands

The Dutch population is increasingly staying away from milk. A massive 21 million fewer liter cartons of milk was sold in 2014, compared to 2013. In the past 15 years, the amount of milk consumed in the Netherlands dropped by more than a third, RTL Nieuws reports. According to the Nutrition Center, this massive decrease can mainly be attributed to the popularity books that state that ordinary milk is unhealthy. It could also have to do with the trending norm that plain m ilk is old-fashioned and boring. The Nutrition Center advises those who are staying away from milk to make sure that they still ingest plenty of other dairy products. Dairy is the main source of calcium in the Netherlands, and is very important for strong bones. Since the European milk quota was lifted in April, milk production has increased in the country, despite the falling demand. The industry is not overly concerned, however. Only 8 percent of the milk produced actually goes into milk cartons. The remainder is used to make other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. A large portion of Dutch milk is also exported to other countries. The worldwide demand for milk increased by 3 percent this past year.