Your questions.

Look for the blue cow symbol!
To find Canadian milk products at the grocery store, look for the blue cow logo, which guarantees that the product is made from 100% Canadian milk.

While the administration of growth hormones known as BST or rBGH to dairy cows is allowed in the US, it is illegal in Canada, and therefore not permitted for use with any dairy cows.

BC dairy farmers do not routinely treat their cows with antibiotics; instead, they rely on good farming practices to keep their animals healthy.

When cows get sick, just like humans, they may require treatment with antibiotics. In those instances, medication is given following veterinary guidelines and strict food safety protocols are followed.

While on antibiotics, a cow’s milk must be diverted to a separate container and properly disposed of for a regulated period of time. Milk from a cow who has been given antibiotics can only start re-entering our food supply after a withdrawal period longer than the time it takes the antibiotics to be fully out of their system. Health Canada studies and publishes the “withdrawal period” for each antibiotic that is licensed for use in dairy cattle.

All milk is tested for antibiotic residues before it is shipped to be bottled.

Every truckload of milk is tested before being unloaded at the processing plant. If antibiotics are found, the entire load is discarded and the farmer who contaminated the load is heavily penalized.

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or other adult involved in caring for a toddler, it can be confusing to know which milk is best to provide. Here are the options:

Whole cow’s milk (3.25% milkfat) and whole, pasteurized goat’s milk fortified with vitamin D and folic acid are the only suitable milk or milk alternatives for children less than two years old.

After age two, fortified soy drink can be used as an alternative to cow’s milk.
Options such as almond, coconut, rice, hemp and other plant-based drinks, do not contain enough protein and fat to meet the needs of a growing toddler.

While fortified almond beverages and other plant-based drinks can be offered after age two, they don’t count as an alternative to cow’s milk based on our national healthy eating guidelines.

If you’re lactose intolerant, you don’t necessarily need to avoid dairy. You can still safely (and comfortably) eat dairy-based foods even if you have lactose intolerance.