Anyone who has visited a nutritionist in recent years will probably have been given advice about dairy - either to reduce the amount of it consumed or cut it out altogether.
Then there are reports from researchers around the world telling us to consume dairy to maintain calcium levels and achieve a balanced diet. Throw in the mainland's melamine scandal in powdered milk and other dairy-related products, and no one knows which way to go.
The Health Department's Central Health Education Unit advises sticking with the classic food pyramid, which includes dairy as part of a balanced diet (vegetables and lean protein at the top, followed by whole grains, and so on).
It does, however, offer calcium-enriched soya milk as an alternative, suggesting the most important reason for dairy is calcium intake.
'Dairy products are rich in calcium, protein, vitamin B2 and most of the milk has been fortified with vitamin D,' the department says in a document on the food pyramid.
The department suggests choosing low-fat or skimmed milk and low-fat cheese to reduce fat intake, and drinking high-calcium soya milk if you do not consume dairy products.
Canadian-trained holistic nutritionist Magdalena Fung does not agree with conventional beliefs about milk as a source of calcium. But she does not recommend cutting out any one food group as this may lead to imbalances in the body.