Milk
Other names: milk
Harm score: 1 (Natural substances)
Milk is one of the oldest and most versatile foods consumed by mankind. Its other names in world languages are milk, leche, lait, latte or Milch. This white liquid comes primarily from female mammals in the postpartum period and is primarily intended to nourish their young. Nowadays, however, milk is a popular source of fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals for people of all ages. The basic type of milk we consume is cow's milk, but goat's milk, sheep's milk, as well as plant-based milk substitutes made from nuts, soy or rice are also increasingly used.
Milk, with its nutritional value and specific properties, is used in many food products. One of the best known products in which milk is used is yoghurt. Yoghurt is considered to be very healthy and aids digestion due to its probiotic cultures. Another important product is the various types of cheese, from hard or semi-hard to soft and blue mould cheeses. Cheese is an important part of many culinary traditions around the world. Milk is also used to make butter, cream, whipped cream, milk drinks and ice cream. In sweet cuisine, milk is used as a basic ingredient for making, for example, puddings, creams, shakes or milk chocolate. Condensed and powdered milk are also very popular. As far as drinks are concerned, milk is an essential ingredient for, for example, latte coffee or chocolate drinks. Milk therefore plays an indispensable role in our diet and is the basis for many popular foods and drinks.