Abimbola Akosile
To the discerning mind, it is not surprising why leading milk producers in Nigeria, like Peak milk, a premium brand in the stable of Friesland Campina WAMCO, has been channeling huge capital and human resources to intensify the campaign for wider consumption of the product in the country.
The campaign for more milk consumption is hinged not essentially on profit motives, but on the urgency for Nigeria to attain a high level of wellbeing among its citizenry, which subsequently will enhance productivity and real economic growth.
Milk has become man’s most needed diet of all times; it is now part of man’s lifestyle. This creamy white liquid is not only widely used, but is highly nutritious. Whenever used, at breakfast, lunch or dinner, milk gives vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates. The vitamin and minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, vitamin A, B, D and riboflavin (1).
Whether in evaporated or powdered form, milk consumption offers a well-rounded supplementation to necessary body functions like building bones and teeth. Milk benefits the body as a whole and is mostly known for improving the calcium levels. It also promotes bone growth in children, while also maintaining the bone strength in adults. Vitamin D is also needed for the body to absorb calcium, so milk consumption reduces the effects of vitamin D deficiency.
Spearheading the revolutionary vanguard to deepen milk consumption in the country and also create wider awareness. Peak Milk, has equally impacted greatly in the market in the last sixty years and has tasked itself on doing more. But can Peak milk truly do more for the Nigerian consumers? This question becomes pertinent in view of the challenges faced by the average Nigerian consumers on consumption attitudes and culture.
However, looking at the innovative ways and usages that Peak milk and its handlers have been championing the cause of deepening milk consumption in the country, it can be taken for granted that Peak can do more.
It is in this spirit that the brand recently organised the art of milk recipe initiative in schools. Ten schools were shortlisted after keen competition by over 100 schools by the panel of judges which comprised notable chefs, nutritionists, representatives from the Ministry of Education as well as members of the Peak milk team.
The bench mark used in selecting the winning recipes included personal appearance, sanitary mannerism, creative use of milk, understanding meal planning, nutrition knowledge and team work. The contestants were exposed to cooking in an interactive way that involved home- based cooking activities.
There were also mouth-watering prizes for selected schools’ recipes which included branded LED Screen, air conditioning units for six classrooms and three classrooms in different orders. All the schools and their supporting teachers who participated in the contest got gifts for the professional creativity exhibited with milk. At the end of the epochal event, Yabatech Secondary school emerged winner of the competition.
Stressing on the importance of the event, Marketing Manager, Peak, Dolapo Otegbayi explained that “the celebration of the World Milk Day in Nigeria by Friesland WAMCO with school children was to challenge them to get creative with cooking and to teach quality nutrition.”
She added that the cooking competition had exposed the children to what quality nutrition is all about and enable them understand balanced dieting to prevent stunted growth”.
According to Otegbayi, “the objective of the competition is to talk about the versatility of milk. We all know that as Nigerians, we use milk basically for tea, cereals and pap, but there are lots of other ways milk can be used because it is beneficial to human beings, as it is one of the vital sources of minerals and vitamins that helps enhancement of growth, mental and physical performance. It is one of the cheap sources of protein.”
She further explained that the company had taken the milk awareness project to about 500 schools in Lagos State alone, disclosing that there were plans to take the message of milk consumption for mental alertness and high performance to other states across the country.
From its many initiatives, it is evident that Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria which produces Peak evaporated and powdered milk which equally contains vital vitamins and nutrients, is all out to deepen the consumption of its brand by spreading the message of ‘Plan A Day’s Meal With Milk’ not only in schools, but among the adult population in the country.
And with more brands like evaporated (liquid) milk in sachets and smaller pocket-friendly sachets and its latest Peak Milk pack with inscriptions of ‘Sweet Mother’ ‘Thank You’ and ‘I Love You’ in celebration of Mother’s Day, added to its kitty, the campaign for more Peak milk consumption may have only begun for the proactive company.
Milk also helps in weight loss as studies have found that a glass of milk during dinner aids weight reduction, just as women who drink skimmed or low fat milk lose more weight easily.
Being over-weight is dangerous and causes ailments such as obesity, high blood pressure and hypertension. Equally, milk consumption helps to reduce stress as it has been discovered that a glass of lukewarm milk relaxes the nerves and reduces stress.
An engineer who simply identified himself as Idris, confirmed that taking a glass of low in fat milk has helped him to shed much weight, disclosing, “l was weighing over 100 kg before now, but since l began to take a glass of peak milk, my weight began to come down considerably and after a few months, it reduced to about 85kg. I have equally told some of my overweight friends to try the therapy and it is working magic for them.”
Milk also builds muscles and aids in recovering when one loses energy, just as it lowers high blood pressure and this reduces the risks of stroke. It equally reduces the production of cholesterol by the liver, gives food eyesight and lowers the risk of cancer.
Milk consumption serves as an energy booster as a hot cup of milk can make the energy level soar, especially when one feels fatigued or weak. It has been proved that milk acts as a food supplement, as patients suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer, milk acts as a rich supplement. Also those who experience difficulty in ingesting food can find alternative by a hot glass of milk.
Milk has equally been found to aid good sleep which is essential in the repair and restoration of the body. Medical experts recommend a glass of hot milk before bed since it aids in good sleep. It is so because a type of amino acid in milk helps calm the mind and soothes frayed nerves.
The white creamy product also soothes bad throat as a hot cup of milk can be the best medicine to bring relief to the pain and discomfort. A cup of hot milk or tea can expedite the healing process and rebuild the much- needed energy to tackle the infection.
For Dr. James Emeh, a lecturer in the Medical Laboratory Sciences in one of the private universities in the country, the use of Peak milk has always helped him to tackle the problem of bad throat, affirming that “whenever l have sore throat, l immediately take a cup of hot peak milk and before you know it, the pain reduces and the discomfort disappears. Hot milk is my immediate therapy for bad throat and l tell people around me to try take hot milk whenever they have sour throat issues.”
Hot milk also recharges the body and keeps it hydrated all the day long. It has been proved that it is especially good to drink milk after an exercise. This will help to replenish the electrolytes in the body and aid rehydration of the body quickly.
Milk has become a major source of enhancing good health and wellbeing; hence all efforts are being made to inculcate into Nigerians the culture of milk consumption. Peak Milk is at the forefront in this vital campaign; and this is the rationale behind its many strategies in reaching out to all strata of society to increase their daily milk intake.
