We can drink cow's milk and goat's milk, so why does no one drink pig's milk?

Everyone has drunk cow's milk, goat's milk, and even camel's milk, but you have definitely never drunk pig's milk! As a mammal, pigs can also produce milk, and my country is the largest pig-raising country with a huge number of pigs. If we can use pig's milk, wouldn't it be killing two birds with one stone? But what's strange is why no one raises pigs to milk and sell it? Why no one drinks pig's milk? Is pig's milk drinkable? How nutritious is it?

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Can I drink pig milk? What is its nutritional value?

Although pig milk is not a commonly consumed dairy product, it is indeed drinkable. Otherwise, how do piglets, as mammals, grow up? Compared with cow's milk, pig milk also has its nutritional value.

Illinois Pork Producers Association

Fat content: The fat content of pig milk is relatively high, and may be closer to human breast milk than cow's milk. According to the Illinois Pork Producers Association, the fat content of pig milk is about 8.5%, which is slightly higher than that of cow's milk, which means that the fat in pig milk can provide more energy for the body, but those who are concerned about fat intake may need to be cautious.

Protein content: Pig milk contains protein, but the content is relatively low compared to cow's milk.

Calcium content: Milk is an excellent source of calcium, which is essential for bone health. Pig milk also contains calcium, but not as much as cow's milk.

Vitamin content: Cow’s milk is a good source of vitamin D and vitamin B12, while pig’s milk may be lower in these vitamins.

Overall, pig milk also contains many nutrients, but its fat content is higher, and the protein, calcium and vitamin D content are lower than those of cow's milk.

Why doesn't anyone drink pig's milk?

Although pig milk is not very nutritious, it does have some nutritional value. So why does no one drink pig milk worldwide? There may be several reasons:

Culture and Tradition: Cow's milk has been the primary source of dairy products in many cultures, while milk from other animals has been used to a lesser extent. Pig's milk is not widely accepted in most cultures, and people tend to prefer cow's milk when choosing dairy products.

Taste and palatability: The taste and flavor of pig milk may be different from other animal milks that people are used to. Cow milk is generally considered a more palatable dairy product, while other animal milks vary in taste and flavor. For example, pig milk has a fishy taste, which many people do not like.

Production: The production of pig milk is relatively low, which is one of the reasons why pig milk is not widely produced and consumed. In contrast, the production of cow milk far exceeds that of other animal milks, such as sheep milk and goat milk. The production of pig milk is affected by many factors, including the breed of pigs, feeding conditions, diet quality, etc. Generally speaking, the lactation period of pigs is relatively short, and the milk production is not as continuous and large as that of cows, so commercial-scale production is also relatively limited.

Production cost: The production cost of pig milk is relatively high. Compared with other animal milks, it requires higher feed, space and maintenance costs. This also leads to the fact that the more competitive dairy products on the market usually come from animals such as cows, sheep, and alpacas.

Pig milk, everything is possible in the future

However, this situation may change in the future. It is understood that the team of Tan Yongsong, deputy director of the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, is doing research on pig milk. They are currently mainly using existing pig breeds in Shanghai, including Meishan pigs, large white pigs, landrace pigs, Duroc pigs and other breeds to conduct pig milk research. According to preliminary research results, some breeds of pig milk have high nutritional value, including energy, fat, protein, lactose, calcium, sodium, etc. Some nutritional indicators are close to or even exceed those of cow milk and goat milk. For example, the protein content of every 100 grams of pig milk reaches nearly 17 grams, which is much higher than the protein content of more than 3 grams per 100 grams of milk. Therefore, with the development of breeding, farming and production technology, perhaps "a cup of pig milk every day" can come true in the future, so let's wait and see.

References

[1]https://onpasture.com/2015/01/05/why-dont-we-drink-pig-milk/

[2]https://www.tastingtable.com/981180/why-dont-people-drink-pigs-milk/

[3]https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1271918.shtml

[4]https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20220729A02JKH00

[5]https://www.saas.sh.cn/rcdw/zjfcsz/cmsyyjs/content_1475

Planning and production

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, Researcher, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Doctor of Medicine