Nutrient cost of dairy products lower than other food products – Brazil

In order to analyse the cost-benefit of dairy, in economic and nutritional terms, researchers from Embrapa Dairy Cattle, in partnership with the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) and financial support from the Minas Gerais Research Support Foundation (Fapemig), set up the Nutrileite Project, which compared the nutrient costs of dairy products with other products typical of the Brazilian diet. The study used as a database the nutritional table and the products present in the national Household Budget Survey (2008−2009). They investigated 443 foods and beverages consumed by Brazilians, of which 43 were dairy products. The collection of prices was made in April and October 2016, in order to minimise the effects of seasonality and inflation. The lowest prices of all products were collected, without considering promotional prices, in 16 virtual supermarkets in 10 states of Brazil.

The research findings showed that, of the eight nutrients analysed, dairy products presented a competitive cost for the acquisition of four of them: protein, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D. This result further reinforces the importance of milk and its derivatives in food, and indicates that drinking milk does well not only for health but also for the Brazilian consumer’s pocket. To read more, click HERE.