Can We Drink Pig Milk? The Honest Answer On Dairy Revealed!

Oluwatosin Michael
Oct 26, 2023 By Oluwatosin Michael
Originally Published on Nov 21, 2021
Reading about pigs' milk makes people wonder, can we drink pig milk?

Homo sapiens tend to eat and drink anything and everything.

Milk produced by lambs, goats, and even camels are common alternatives for cow milk. It's worth noting, though, that humans have never ingested pigs' milk throughout approximately all of our history.

Humans will cheerfully consume cows' or goats' milk, while people in other parts of the world will also drink mare, donkey, or even camel milk. Pig milk, on the other hand, has never gained such acceptance amongst people.

A pig delivers 13 lb (5.89 L) of milk per day, while a cow yields 65 lb (29.48 L) per day. Unlike cows, pigs cannot get impregnated while breastfeeding, posing a significant economic challenge to farmers who rear the animal primarily because of its economic value.

Gathering the milk would be incredibly difficult; pigs have 14 mammary glands in general, while cows have got only four. The duration of giving milk varies in pigs and cows.

Oxytocin stimulates a cow's milk outflow, lasting 10-15 minutes. A pig's lactate discharge will last approximately 15 seconds. Any farmer who is farming on pig farms and is interested in pig's milk must also look at the animal's hind legs as it is an indication of the pig getting defensive and might consider the farmer an enemy.

After reading about the suitability of pigs' milk, also read about pig facts and children of Adam and Eve.

Why is there no pig milk?

Pigs feature tiny nipples that produce less milk. As well, the animal dislikes being milked. The milk's flavor has often been characterized as having a gamey or spoiled flavor, as well as the cheese is an intensified variation of such a gaminess.

Whilst pig's milk seems to be high in saturated fat, about 8.5% as opposed to 3.9% in cow's milk, it is also rich in several vitamins, making pig milk nutritious. Sows are exceptionally hard to milk.

They have 14 mammary glands compared to a cow's four, and they do not like being handled by humans. When anyone tries to control them, they become quite upset and see them as enemies.

Pigs have a short milk evacuation duration of about 15 seconds, while cows might have a length of 10-15 minutes. Overall, milking a pig is a lot of hassle. The understanding that rational people no longer keep pig's milk in their refrigerators is quite straightforward.

Pigs dislike being milked. Numerous folks are astonished to find that pigs, particularly possessive sows, may be vicious. Sows cannot get pregnant again when breastfeeding, making a consistent milk supply impossible to assure.

What does pig milk taste like?

Pig's milk is often not particularly appetizing. Although it comprises higher fat content than cow's milk, it contains far more liquid which also has a gamey taste because of the pig's omnivorous diet.

It is a somewhat healthy drink but the consistency is very watery, unlike cow's milk which has a better consistency. The flavor of the pig milk is gamey and tastes even stronger than goat's milk.

The intensified flavor of pig milk can be found in pig milk cheese which chefs have described as delicious. The flavor is described as salty, creamy, and grainy.

Why don't we make cheese from pig milk?

Sow's milk is unlikely to be seen at your local grocery store. Some hog farm workers throughout the Netherlands are aiming to introduce pig cheese.

Humans consume cow or buffalo milk on a regular basis, though we consume cheese from a far broader range of animals, principally cows, goats, and lamb. We prefer to consume dairy products from different animals but pig milk cheese is difficult to come by for a myriad of reasons.

One of the most fundamental explanations and the rationale behind people not consuming pig milk is that pigs are incredibly challenging to milk.

Sows may be quite hostile, particularly while lactating; they can only supply a small quantity of milk at a time; plus, since no pig-milking equipment has been devised, pigs must always be milked by hand, which could be highly hazardous.

Moreover, the flavor of the pig milk is not appealing to a large number of people who describe it to be gamey and musky as compared to other milk from other dairy animals.

Are Dairy Milk products made from pigs?

Under Islam, pork is severely forbidden as the pig is not considered suitable for consumption, so when traces of pork DNA were reported to be found in Dairy Milk chocolates, it sparked outrage.

The incident surrounding the chemical found in Malaysian Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate bars led to indignation among certain Muslim organizations in the country, some of whom have urged for a ban of all products manufactured either by this brand as well as its affiliated company, Mondelez.

Officials in Malaysia detected pork DNA in Dairy Milk hazelnuts and roasted almond snacks. According to the Saudi announcement, the SFDA was in contact with Malaysian officials regarding these tests.

It was also a concern for them. Previous administration examinations on two Cadbury products indicated that they're not acceptable for Muslims.

Additional testing by Malaysian Islamic officials, however, discovered no residues of pork in a variety of Cadbury goods. Malaysian officials have confirmed that it is unknown if the poisoning of the two Dairy Milk variants was caused by Cadbury or through 'foreign sources'.

To sum up, pig milk is not used to produce Dairy Milk chocolates or any dairy products due to various issues discussed above.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can we drink pig milk then take a look at the baking science: how do you know when cheesecake is done or the food trick: how do you know when mushrooms are bad?

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Written by Oluwatosin Michael

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

Oluwatosin Michael picture

Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies. 

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