Introducing Natureland’s All-Natural Organic Range Of Dairy Products

Picture it: Cows, sheep and goats grazing on the natural grass on the mountainsides of Greece. They are happy animals, looked after by the farmers who have owned and cared for the land for centuries.

Wouldn’t you like your dairy products to come from such an idyllic setting? With Naturaland’s new range of all-natural organic dairy products, they can!

 

Grevena, Greece

We went in search of the ideal human and environmentally friendly dairy products to bring to you. We wanted our offerings to be produced by happy cows, sheep and goats. Our wish was for you to benefit from age-old organic farming practices found only on family-run farms.

We found all of this in Grevena, Greece. It is a beautiful village in Macedonia, surrounded by high mountains, forests, streams and rivers. It is a place where people live in harmony with nature, including their farm animals.

This is where our exciting new range of dairy products come from.

 

Conventional Dairy Farming

Living in the modern world, we are constantly being exposed to harmful chemicals. They are found in our food, in the products we use to clean our homes and in the air around us. Doesn’t it make sense to avoid the toxic substances whenever we can?

Unfortunately conventional farming methods do not take this important aspect of our health into consideration. Too many farm animals are not allowed to move freely on the land, grazing on fresh grass as they roam. Instead they are confined to small spaces and fed genetically modified grains that are not a part of their natural diet.

The routine use of antibiotics and synthetic growth hormone may boost the growth of the animals, which is good for the farmer’s bottom line. But these compounds make their way into the milk that we drink and use to make other dairy products such as yogurt and cheese.

Commonly used pesticides residues are also part of the package in the milk of conventionally farmed animals. 

The result of such intensive farming is unhappy, stressed out animals that produce inferior milk; contaminated with chemicals that have no place in our food.

 

All-Natural Organic Dairy Products

Our products are different. 

The milk for our dairy products is sourced from a collaboration of family-run organic farms in Grevena, Greece. The cows, sheep and goats are allowed to roam the mountainsides, grazing on the fresh grass as nature intended.

Natureland dairy products are handmade in the traditional Greek way from fresh organic cow, sheep and/or goat milk. Only all-natural ingredients are used when producing products such as yogurt and cheese.

That means that all of our dairy products are free from preservatives, added sugars, starch, gluten, flavorants, pectin, colorants, GMO’s and stabilizers. We are proud to offer you rich, creamy dairy products that are naturally good for you.

 

Benefits Of All-Natural organic Dairy Products

The best thing about all-natural organic dairy products is that they offer you all of the nutritional benefits of milk without exposing you to toxic chemicals. 

Because the animals are allowed to graze freely on fresh grass, they are healthier and less stressed. Their nutritional requirements are met by the grass from which their bodies are meant to obtain their nutrition.

Scientific research has shown that organic milk has a greater nutritional value than milk from conventionally farmed animals. It is a better source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are essential in the human diet as our bodies cannot make them. They are important for fighting inflammation which has been linked to obesity and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The antioxidant and mineral content of organic milk is also higher than in conventional milk. Iron, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids have all been found in higher concentrations in the milk of organically-farmed grass-fed animals. Antioxidants help to prevent cell damage, and therefore disease.

Of course, organic milk is still a good source of protein, and bone and teeth strengthening calcium.

Just as important as the nutritional content, a study published in Public Health Nutrition found that organic milk does not contain any residues of commonly used pesticides or antibiotics. There is also significantly less synthetic growth hormone in organic milk.

To sum it up: Organic milk contains only the good stuff.

 

Introducing Our Organic Dairy Products

We are proud to introduce you to our carefully selected range of dairy products. We have done our homework so that we can confidently say that our products are all-natural and organic. Handmade using traditional methods and ingredients to offer you the best in nutrition and health.

Plain Yogurts

We recognise that everyone has their own preferences; some people enjoy a rich creamy yogurt with a high fat content, while others would like the creaminess without the fat. That is why we have both a 2% fat Greek Yogurt and a 5% fat Greek Yogurt.

Both are a naturally sweet source of protein and calcium. And they contain live probiotic cultures(healthy bacteria) that have been shown to be important for gut health. They are made from pasteurized organic non-fat milk, organic cream & active cultures. The yogurt is strained in the traditional Greek way to produce a thick, smooth, creamy yogurt.

Greek Yogurt is extremely versatile and can be used in dishes from breakfast, to snacks, and dinners. Enjoy the creaminess on its own, or add some fresh fruits, nuts and a drizzle of honey for a refreshing start to your day. This rich, creamy yogurt can be used in any dish that would normally call for cream - pasta sauces, baking, desserts, dips and dressings.

Fruit Yogurts

Made the same way as the plain Greek Yogurts. These yogurts are naturally sweetened with concentrated grape juice and fresh fruit. Natureland Fruit Yogurt comes in four fresh flavors: apple, strawberry, blueberry and honey.

Kefir Drinks

We know that Kefir isn’t everybody’s cup of tea and that goat kefir can be unpalatable for a lot of people. But we want everyone to benefit from this probiotic powerhouse. So, we have both a Goat Kefir and a Cow Kefir to suit your individual taste.

The Goat Kefir has a sharp, fizzy, fermented taste that may take your taste buds by surprise. The Cow Kefir has a milder tart, tangy flavor.

Both kefir drinks are made using pasteurized organic milk and live bacterial cultures - kefir grains. Kefir grains contain a variety of microorganisms including beneficial bacteria and yeasts. The microbes ferment the milk, using up all of the lactose, making the product suitable for people with lactose intolerance. The bacterial strains remain active after the kefir grains are removed from the milk as there is no heat treatment post-production.

Live microorganisms that survive digestion have been shown to be beneficial in gut health, helping people manage conditions such as IBS, colon cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders and neurological disorders.

Kefir is mostly enjoyed as a drink. But it can also be poured over breakfast cereal, used in baking, added to smoothies and used to make dressings.

 

Cheese

We have a variety of cheese for you to choose from too.

Labneh is a creamy, soft, spreadable, tangy cheese that can be spread on bread as a filling for sandwiches; eaten with stewed fruits, nuts and honey for breakfast; added to a marinade to tenderize meat; or turned into a dip with the addition of some herbs and spices.

Farmers Goat Cheese is a delicious curd cheese. It is soft and spreadable with a pleasant, rich, slightly acidic taste. It was first made by accident by the shepherds watching over the animals in the mountains of Grevena. It is a product that is unique to the region. 

Manouri Cheese is another interesting cheese. Made from the whey leftover after making feta cheese, Naturaland Manouri Cheese is a soft, compact, slightly sweet cheese. Perfect for salads, sandwiches or grilled and served with vegetables.

Natureland’s Grill Cheese can be used in place of Haloumi Cheese. Grilled to perfection, it can be used as an appetizer, added to salads or in cheese pastries.

 

We hope that you are aas excited about our new dairy products as we are. We know they are delicious! Now you get to try them.

 

Sources of Reference:

  1. Grevena Greece | Greece.com [Internet]. Greece | Greece.com. [cited 2022 Jan 20]. Available from: https://www.greece.com/destinations/Macedonia/Grevena/
  2. Rather IA, Koh WY, Paek WK, Lim J. The Sources of Chemical Contaminants in Food and Their Health Implications. Frontiers in Pharmacology [Internet]. 2017 Nov 17 [cited 2022 Jan 20]; Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2017.00830
  3. Sorge US, Moon R, Wolff LJ, Michels L, Schroth S, Kelton DF, et al. Management practices on organic and conventional dairy herds in Minnesota. Journal of Dairy Science [Internet]. 2016 Apr [cited 2022 Jan 20];(4):3183–92. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10193
  4. Groot MJ, van’t Hooft KE. The Hidden Effects of Dairy Farming on Public and Environmental Health in the Netherlands, India, Ethiopia, and Uganda, Considering the Use of Antibiotics and Other Agro-chemicals. Frontiers in Public Health [Internet]. 2016 Feb 24 [cited 2022 Jan 20]; Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00012
  5. What are the Benefits of Organic Milk and Dairy Products? | The Organic Center [Internet]. The Organic Center. 2019 [cited 2022 Jan 20]. Available from: https://www2.organic-center.org/what-are-benefits-organic-milk-and-dairy-products
  6. Hedlund L, Løvlie H. Personality and production: Nervous cows produce less milk. Journal of Dairy Science [Internet]. 2015 Sep [cited 2022 Jan 20];(9):5819–28. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-8667
  7. Benbrook CM, Butler G, Latif MA, Leifert C, Davis DR. Organic Production Enhances Milk Nutritional Quality by Shifting Fatty Acid Composition: A United States–Wide, 18-Month Study. Wiley AS, editor. PLoS ONE [Internet]. 2013 Dec 9 [cited 2022 Jan 20];(12):e82429. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082429
  8. Benbrook CM, Davis DR, Heins BJ, Latif MA, Leifert C, Peterman L, et al. Enhancing the fatty acid profile of milk through forage-based rations, with nutrition modeling of diet outcomes. Food Science & Nutrition [Internet]. 2018 Feb 28 [cited 2022 Jan 20];(3):681–700. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.610
  9. Alothman M, Hogan SA, Hennessy D, Dillon P, Kilcawley KN, O’Donovan M, et al. The “Grass-Fed” Milk Story: Understanding the Impact of Pasture Feeding on the Composition and Quality of Bovine Milk. Foods [Internet]. 2019 Aug 17 [cited 2022 Jan 20];(8):350. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods8080350
  10. Welsh JA, Braun H, Brown N, Um C, Ehret K, Figueroa J, et al. Production-related contaminants (pesticides, antibiotics and hormones) in organic and conventionally produced milk samples sold in the USA. Public Health Nutrition [Internet]. 2019 Jun 26 [cited 2022 Jan 20];(16):2972–80. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S136898001900106X