Study: Grass-fed diets on dairy farms produce nutritionally enhanced milk

Cows fed a 100% organic grass and legume-based diet produce milk with elevated levels of omega-3 and CLA, according to a collaborative research project with the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.; Newcastle University, England; Southern Cross University, Australia; and the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Researchers found that the improved fatty acid profile in grass-fed organic milk and dairy products (also known as grassmilk) brings the omega-6/omega-3 ratio to a near 1 to 1, compared to 5.7 to 1 in conventional whole milk.

“With growing consumer demand for organic dairy products, producers may be able to expand their profitability and market share by converting to grass-based pasture and forage-feeding systems,” says Dr. Bradley Heins, associate professor of dairy science at the University of Minnesota’s West Central Research and Outreach Center and co-author of the research project.