Organic milk and dairy: what makes them different

Milk and dairy are everyday staples for many households, and the way they’re produced can make a big difference.

Organic milk and dairy products must meet strict legal standards and be certified at every stage of the supply chain. This guarantees higher welfare for cows, a natural grass-based diet, and fewer artificial additives and preservatives.

The organic symbol can only appear on products that have been independently inspected and certified. This gives you confidence that they have been produced in a way that supports animal welfare, nature and human health.

This article sets out how organic milk and dairy differ from non-organic alternatives, and why choosing organic can help support healthier soils, wildlife, people and the planet.

Higher animal welfare

Organic guarantees milk and other dairy products comes from grass-fed, free-range cows. 

Soil Association’s organic standards and certification process puts animal welfare at its centre. It focuses on quality of life for the cows and makes sure checks and safeguards are in place to monitor welfare in the inspection process.

Organic cows are truly free-range. They must all have plenty of space roaming outdoors at pasture for as much of the year as possible (weather conditions permitting). These conditions help to reduce stress and disease and give them the freedom and opportunity to express their natural grazing and social behaviours. 

Many organic dairy herds turn out and go onto fresh pasture after being housed during the winter. This happens between late January to spring depending on weather and ground conditions (as to not damage the soil). During the winter, they must still have space to move and feed among their herd mates comfortably, as well as have comfortable beds.

Learn more about welfare standards for organic cows.

No routine antibiotics

Organic farming focuses on preventing disease through good animal health and low stress environments, rather than using antibiotics routinely. Organic cows spend more time outdoors and are managed for healthy, sustainable milk yields, which helps reduce illness in the first place.

This helps minimise the risk of antimicrobial resistance and protect the effectiveness of these treatments for animal and human use.  

Natural, grass-based diet 

Organic  animals must be fed a natural and organic diet. For cows, this means a grass-rich diet. 

Non-organic cows are given, on average, a third more concentrated feed to increase milk production. However, on organic farms, cows must be fed a minimum of 60% forage (grass-based diet). During the winter, when it is too cold for cows to be out on the grass itself, they still feed on preserved grass, clover and mixed forages.

This means that organic dairy has a 20% lower yield on average, but it is more sustainable and helps to protect the animals’ health and welfare.

Grass on organic farms is rich in clover. Organic farmers use this to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil to help fertilise it. This replaces the need for fossil fuel based fertilisers, which are forbidden under organic standards. This results in higher levels of Omega 3 in organic milk compared to non-organic.

Fewer additives and preservatives

The use of additives and processing aids is heavily restricted in organic products. Certified organic processed foods containing dairy must be made in a way that guarantees the organic integrity of the product.   

Organic standards prohibit the use of:

• toxic ingredients
• GM ingredients, hydrogenated fats and controversial artificial colourings and preservatives

The organic standards for milk and dairy products ensure that the way it is produced does not harm the environment, human health, plant health or animal welfare. 

Find out more about how products and ingredients from organic farms are better for nature, the planet and our health.