During the Cultural Revolution it was considered a show of capitalism to drink milk in China. Milk was widely regarded as bourgeois by officials who ordered the masses to shun it in favour of traditional beverages like green tea.
But times have changed and now the mainland is switching on to the health benefits of milk, with dairy producers ploughing big money into advertising to get the message across.
In China, the milk industry is already valued at about 35 billion yuan a year and is growing 10 per cent annually. Last November, one leading player, the Mongolian Dairy, paid a record 310 million yuan for a 55-second advertising slot on prime-time national television. In Hong Kong, consumption of milk has also grown steadily, with a surge in sales in 2001 spurred on by price promotions and campaigns, which positioned milk as the best source of calcium.
According to Pura Milk spokesperson Linda Liang, Hong Kong people are increasingly developing a taste for milk, especially varieties with extra calcium. Pura has been in Hong Kong since 1999 and produces three types - a homogenised whole milk, a high-calcium low-fat milk and a 99.9 per cent fat-free type for people conscious about their fat intake. It also imports Yoplait Yoghurt.
'We believe dairy products can deliver the core benefit of improving human health for the present and future generation,' said Ms Liang, adding that what set Pura apart from other brands in Hong Kong was the fact that it was imported from Australia.
'The benefit is that Australia is a better environment for dairy herds. It is one of the few places in the world with no pollution problem or mad cow disease.
'Most of the milk in Hong Kong comes from China, where the cows are kept inside and fed on dried cattle food. In Australia, the cows graze outside and feed off fresh grass.'