Maritime Quality Milk is in the early stages of a collaborative project with the University of Laval, Guelph University, University of Saskatchewan and Agri-Food Canada where they will be researching Iodine levels in bulk tank milk.

Dairy products, like milk, provide over 50% of dietary iodine intake which is an essential nutrient for humans and cows for the prevention of iodine deficiency disorders.  Because the level of bulk milk iodine in farms across Canada has been quite variable, MQM and partners are hoping to uncover the sources of variability in bulk tank milk iodine concentration and to develop additional programs to moderate this variability.  There has been no evidence that current milk iodine levels pose any risk to adults or children over the age of 8, however there is a concern that young children consuming above Canada’s Food Guide recommended servings could be consuming elevated levels of iodine.

The launch of this Iodine monitoring program in the fall of 2010 will examine approximately 13,000 herds in Canada over a 3 year period. This extensive monitoring program will create a sound dataset to help reveal the major determinants of bulk tank iodine variability.

The research team, composed of Drs. Greg Keefe, Director of MQM, Javier Sanchez, CFIA chair, Elisabeth Gauthier, Sociologist with Agri-Food Canada, Steve Hendrick, Assistant Professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, David Kelton, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Guelph, Jean-Phillippe Roy, Professor at the University of Montreal, Gale West, Social Researcher at Laval University and Kimberley MacDonald, also of the Atlantic Veterinary College. Dr. MacDonald will be conducting her post doctoral research on this project.  This highly qualified and dynamic research team hopes to reach the analysis and reporting stage by May 2012