From goat milk and goat cheese to goat butter and goat semen, there’s a goat meme that’s always been part of the culture.
But as more and more people turn to goat milk to help support their bodies, there have been concerns about its potential to be unsafe.
The milk is the main ingredient in the products sold by the Goat Milk and Goat Cheese Federation (GAMCF), which says it has received more than 6,000 complaints since its inception.
Its founder and chief executive, Pauline Smith, says it is an environmentally friendly alternative to other milk alternatives.
“It’s not like cows milk.
It’s like drinking goat milk,” she says.
But not everyone is convinced.
Dr Sarah Karr, an infectious disease specialist from the University of Sydney, says the use of goat milk for other things is irresponsible and unnecessary.
“[It’s] not a health risk for people who have allergies, but it is a risk for the rest of the world, because we are not a high-income country, and so it’s a concern to them,” she said.
She says that in order for the industry to remain viable, more stringent regulations need to be put in place.
GAMTF says it does not intend to raise its milk supply from goats to humans.
And its chief executive says the current guidelines are inadequate and would only serve to drive up the cost of goat and goat products.
However, the goat milk industry has also raised concerns about the way it has been regulated.
Many dairy producers are using goat milk in products that contain milk solids such as cheese, cream, yogurt and even baby formula.
In 2015, the Australian Food Standards Agency banned all non-organic dairy products containing goat or goat milk from being sold.
It said it would consider imposing stricter guidelines if there was a significant change in the dairy industry.
Meanwhile, the Dairy Farmers of Australia, which represents more than 40,000 dairy farmers in Australia, says its members are not being forced to buy goat milk.
We’re not buying goat milk, the group said in a statement to news.com.au.
Instead, they buy other dairy products that are certified organic, such as goat and sheep milk and milk from certified organic dairy farms.
Farmers say the current rules, which have been in place for years, have been designed to protect goat milk producers from price fluctuations.
When the price of goat meat rises, they say they will stop buying it and will only buy goat-derived products.
However, the rules don’t apply to milk sold by goat milk sellers, such is the amount of milk that has been used in their products.
“It’s quite obvious, when they look at the market, that there are only so many things you can put on the market at one time,” Ms Smith said.