As if the dairy industry hasn’t been hit hard enough from the economic downturn it continues to face assault from animal activists and vegans. One interesting point being the definition of the term natural and what makes Soy products “Natural”.
if you look at almost every Soy product you will find that contrary to popular believe, it actually contains a cow milk protein. This protein known as casein is typically what causes so many problems that we have with dairy products such as sinus congestion, constipation and even asthma symptoms. One main reason it causes these problems is because this protein is difficult for humans to digest. If you actually look at the makeup of human breast milk you will find that it is greatly different from cow’s milk. Cows require casein in larger quantities than humans which is why human breast milk contains casein in a much smaller quantity. This also raises an interesting question, why are we the only species on the planet that drinks another species’ milk? It’s also interesting to note that we as a species drink milk throughout adulthood where other species only drink milk right after birth for a relatively short period of time. Even yogurt’s coloring is derived from an insect derived natural coloring. So the important question raised by all of this is, just how natural are all these so called alternatives?
http://www.naturalnews.com/003217_soy_cheese_food_marketing.html
There is a relatively new controversy over milk in New Zealand and Australia. The claim is that protein in regular milk (A1 protein) can make its way into the bloodstream, causing diseases such as autism, schizophrenia, juvenile diabetes, and heart disease. Scientists disagree whether this claim is valid. The benefits of A2 milk seem to be mostly hype at this point, but consumers that believe A2 milk is beneficial continue to purchase the more expensive A2 milk. A2 Corporation and Freedom Foods companies created a joint venture, A2 Milk Company, in order to take advantage of the hype and capture a share of the relatively small market. It’s interesting that they created a joint venture in order to spread out the risk between the two companies in case scientific evidence proves there is no benefit to consuming A2 milk instead of A1 milk, and the A2 milk market falls through.
To read the full report, go to the following link: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2866747.htm
Please leave comments on your thoughts!
A recent issue of The Costco Connection, discussing the evolution of house brands, cited packaging and efficiency issues. A prime example was the design of a "square" jar for cashews that increased pallet capacity by 50%. That, in turn, saved 600 truckloads a year in transporting cashews alone. 600 truckloads isn't peanuts, even for Costco.
Their liquid detergent bottle design increased pallet capacity by 33% with proportionate transportation savings--and improved consumer utility. Full disclosure: they're doing something similar with gallon milk containers, but I've yet to figure out how to make the first pour go into the glass and not all over the counter.
These cases led me to two takeaways. One is that "green" initiatives don't all have to be high-concept, multi-million dollar investments with decades-long payback periods. We are surrounded by simple opportunities that are the right thing for the environment, for business, and for customers-- provided that we are willing to simplify and focus our visions.
The other is that these kinds of supply chain improvements outght to be what's coming out of better relationships and collaborative problem-solving with suppliers who are able to think in terms of the downstream customer, and the ultimate consumer. I don't know that to be entirely the case with Costco, but I suspect it is, and other companies have derived similar benefits from close and progressive business relationships.
When the supplier is able to apply parallel solutions for other customers, the benefits become part of a significant ripple effect with positive consequences all up and down the supply chain. Powerful stuff.
What has your experience been? Do you have to drive all the improvements, or do your business partners? Or, do you develop them together? If together, how do you either limit or promote their application outside of your specific relationships?