Ghana Faces Concerns Over Influx of Cheap Imported Milk Substitutes

Ghana – milk substitutes – imported milk – Thousands of euros in Irish public money are being spent on pushing cheap substitute ‘milk’ into Ghana and some key markets in West Africa, anti-PR organisation DesMog and its Nigerian counterparts have disclosed.

In July this year, DesMog reported that some products made from milk with the natural fat removed and replaced with vegetable oil were among those promoted in trade missions and campaigns.

The study reveals that over €250,000 in Irish public funds have been used to help Irish dairy giants push fat-filled milk powder (FFMP) products in West Africa – a situation that is positively impacting Ireland’s booming FFMP industry.

DesMog explained that certain ‘milk powder’ brands have been advertising to Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal parents, claiming the products are good for their children.

The investigations also exposed how large volumes of the cheap substitute ‘milk’ being exported to West Africa markets are outcompeting local milk on price.

Fat-filled milk powder is made by spray-drying skimmed milk combined with vegetable fats like palm or coconut oil because its dairy fats were removed to make more profitable products like butter.

It cannot be sold in the EU as milk because of the palm or vegetable oil addition – with the vast majority shipped outside Europe.

While countries like the Netherlands, Germany, France and Poland also export FFMP, Ireland is by far the biggest player – exporting 30 percent of the EU’s FFMP.

Indeed, Lakeland Dairies, Tirlán and Ornua, which had a combined turnover of €7.8billion in 2024, were the top exporters of FFMP to Nigeria and Ghana from 2021 to 2024 according to Volza export-import trade data.

Fat-filled milk powder is Ireland’s largest (by volume) dairy export and the fourth most valuable export – worth €813million last year.

But its success, DesMog noted, continues to come at a health cost for consumers in West Africa… including Ghana.

Ireland’s food and drink authority, Bord Bia, helped promote the products in these countries with an over-€170,000 taxpayer-funded 2023 trade mission and €82,500 on joint campaigns with Ornua for World Milk Day from 2021 to 2024.

Fat-filled milk powder contains up to 37 percent lactose and intolerance to it can cause bloating, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

Market research commissioned by Bord Bia, according to DesMoG, showed that most consumers are unaware of the differences between whole milk powder and FFMP.

Cheaper than fresh milk, FFMP has a longer shelf-life and is marketed as a ‘good’ source of protein. It is used as a milk substitute, tea and coffee ‘creamer’ and a base for yoghurts, drinks and desserts.

However, DesMog says perceptions of the products as healthy and sustainable are carefully crafted in West Africa, where consumers are targetted through social media, billboards, TV and in-person campaigns.

Hundreds of Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok post analyses, from 2022 to 2024, found brands frequently make claims about the health benefits and environmental impacts of these ‘milk powder’ products.

Source: thebftonline.com

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