- published: 30 May 2013
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Dairy products are generally defined as food produced from the milk of mammals (the Food Standards Agency of the United Kingdom defines dairy as "foodstuffs made from mammalian milk"). They are usually high energy-yielding food products. A production plant for the processing of milk is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Apart from breastfed infants, the human consumption of dairy products is sourced primarily from the milk of cows, yet goats, sheep, yaks, camels, and other mammals are other sources of dairy products consumed by humans. Dairy products are commonly found in European, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, whereas they are almost unknown in East Asian cuisine.
Most dairy products contain large amounts of saturated fat.
Some dairy products may cause health issues for individuals who have a lactose intolerance and milk allergies. Some dairy products such as blue cheese may become contaminated with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus during ripening, which can trigger asthma and other respiratory problems in susceptible individuals.Vegans and some other vegetarians avoid dairy products due to a variety of ethical, dietary, environmental, political, and religious concerns.