Wageningen University scientists and American academics have settled their differences in a row over the health benefits of milk by issuing a joint statement.

Harvard professor Walter Willet, who was involved in the research, had urged Wageningen University to withdraw a press release issued last year which claims drinking milk reduces the risk of heart and artery disease.
In a joint statement, they say ‘the results of this study are not sufficient to make recommendations regarding consumption of milk or other dairy products.’
‘It is important to put health effects of dairy in the context of other food products on the menu. In other words, whether dairy products have a favourable or unfavourable effect on health depends on which foods they replace. It was not possible to examine such comparisons in this type of analysis,’ the statement says.
Heart disease
The original press release issued by Wageningen had claimed three glasses of milk a day reduces the risk of developing heart and artery disease by 18%.
Animal rights lobby group Wakker Dier has made a formal complaint to the advertising standards commission about the original press release. That case will be heard shortly.
It also wants an investigation into the influence of sponsorship on research at Wageningen, which focuses on the food and agricultural industries.