THE SMOOTH TASTE OF SUMMER

24 August 2001

Thanks to Bod and his friends many of us have grown up with a craving for a delicious, cool milkshake on a hot, summer's afternoon. Well, rest assured, a milkshake can be one of the healthiest and tastiest summer treats for the whole family - particularly if you choose organic ingredients.

Simply blend organic milk, organic vanilla ice-cream and fresh organic raspberries for a creamy, fruity taste. It couldn't be easier to prepare or more delicious to drink!

It is well known that milk is a great source of calcium - an essential part of our daily diet and especially vital for growing children - but the additional benefits of organic milk are manifold. Organic milk comes from farms that don't use artificial herbicides, fungicides or insecticides. The cows are not given GM feed or hormones, and there is no routine use of antibiotics. Instead, organic farmers strive to keep their farms in balance with nature, so that we can be sure that the milk is more pure and pesticide free.

Organic farms also have high animal welfare standards and are more environment-friendly. According to the Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative (OMSCo) - the leading UK organic milk supplier - a typical family drinking two pints a day will be supporting a huge 1,200 square metres of British organic countryside.

So while enjoying your tasty organic raspberry milkshake this summer, be assured that your choice is better for the countryside, the cows, and above all for you.

Recipe Idea: Organic Raspberry Milkshake

Ingredients:
·600ml / 1 pint organic milk
·4 scoops organic vanilla ice-cream*
·225g / 8oz fresh organic raspberries

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz until frothy. Pour into chilled glasses and serve straight away.
(Serves 4)

*We suggest Yeo Valley Organic ice-cream, Rocombe Farm Fresh ice-cream, or Safeways Organic ice-cream)

Did You Know?

·Milk is the richest dietary source of calcium
·Regular milk contains less than 4% fat, semi-skimmed less than 2% and skimmed around 0.15%
·Milk can be frozen. Make sure you freeze it quickly and thaw it in the fridge
·Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians used milk in religious ceremonies and as a medicine
·Organic dairy farms do not use pesticides and rarely use antibiotics or artificial fertilisers
·No case of BSE has ever been found in an organic born and raised dairy cow
·Organic cattle feed does not contain GMOs, solvents, urea or hormones

ENDS
For further information, contact the 'drink organic' team on
0117 922 7799

Editors' notes:

·The Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative (OMSCo) is the UK's leading organic milk marketing organisation, supplying around 70% of the organic milk produced and sold in the UK.

·OMSCo was formed in 1994 by a group of five farming operations in the west of England, including the Duchy of Cornwall Home Farm in Tetbury. It now has over 300 members.

·The founders of OMSCo effectively built the organic dairy market in the UK single-handed.

·OMSCo is the only national dairy co-operative which only handles organic milk. It is headquartered in Somerset.

·More information on OMSco can be found on its web-site: www.omsco.co.uk