Tetra Pak Pakistan and UVAS join hands to celebrate the World Milk Day

Karachi, June 1, 2015: Tetra Pak Pakistan and University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences jointly hosted a ceremony at the UVAS campus to mark the 15th World Milk Day in which various aspects of milk and importance of unadulterated milk was highlighted.

World Milk Day was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2001 to celebrate milk consumption; its natural origin and nutritional benefits. Each year, the number of countries participating in World Milk Day has increased to reflect increasing interest in adopting healthier lifestyles. Tetra Pak in Greater Middle East and Africa has been celebrating World Milk Day for the past decade.

On this day, Tetra Pak, world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company, shares its competence on Ultra High Treated (UHT) milk in markets around the world. Tetra Pak has a long tradition of promoting safe packaged milk and supporting stakeholders all over the world to develop and implement awareness campaigns about the nutritional values of milk, and benefits of consuming aseptic packaged milk.

Speaking on the occasion, Tetra Pak Pakistan Communication Manager Fahad Maral said: “Tetra Pak focuses on highlighting the importance of consuming UHT milk, as opposed to loose or untreated milk. As milk by nature is a sensitive product, it is highly sensitive to contamination if not handled properly during collection and transportation.”

He added, “UHT milk is tested before reception at the factories and only good quality milk is accepted. Raw milk is then exposed to the UHT process which eliminates all harmful bacteria and the six-layered Tetra Pak carton protects the content from light, air and bacteria which ultimately make UHT milk safe, without the need for any preservatives.

“Aligned with our global vision of ‘Protects What’s Good’, Tetra Pak Pakistan has many initiatives to raise awareness on the benefits of consuming UHT milk. Over the years it has reached out to tens of thousands of healthcare professionals through seminars and workshops, carried out awareness raising activities for school children, organized capacity building of farmers and conducted advocacy through the media for the benefit of the society at large.”

Addressing the audience, UVAS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha welcomed Tetra Pak’s initiative to celebrate the World Milk Day together with the university and said, “On this day we have to make people realize how important pure milk is for their health as it contains 18 of the 22 nutrients necessary for a daily intake. It is rich in essential nutrients such as Vitamin A, D and B12, as well as minerals such as; potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and protein. Studies have shown that a low intake of milk or milk related products increase the risk of osteoporosis, resulting from calcium deficiency, obesity and tooth decay.”

He said that government should initiate milk and egg supply program in schools to curb alarmingly increasing malnutrition among children.