Milk production has increased 15% in the 10 years from 2002 to 2011. And 2012 is off to a good start, with production in the first quarter up 5.2% compared to the same period a year ago. Total cheese production (excluding cottage cheeses) rose 3.6% in 2010 to 10.4 billion pounds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Italian varieties (at 4.42 billion pounds) rose 5.8%, and American-type cheese increased 1.7%, accounting for 41% of total cheese production. Clearly, America’s dairy processors are productive.
All that sounds good, no? Unfortunately, no. The issue of food is politicized, with some wanting government to legislate nutrition, others wanting government to butt out entirely. Environmentalists, animal rights activists and food bloggers all press their points of view on dairy processors. It’s become a game of gotcha! What can be lost is the inherent quality of milk and other products made with milk.