How Haaland prompted a debate on drinking raw milk

More than five million people have watched Erling Haaland’s first video, which also sparked discussion about his consumption of raw milk.

Manchester City and Norway striker Haaland, 25, discusses his daily routine and enjoyment of cooking and eating tomahawk steaks in an episode titled “Day in the life of a professional footballer.”

He also discusses his preference for drinking raw, unpasteurized milk, which is sold legally in England but cannot be purchased in stores or supermarkets.

People with weaker immune systems, including those over 65, pregnant women, young children, and those with a compromised immune system, should not consume it, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) warning that it “may contain harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.”

Haaland is filmed visiting a farm in Cheshire to collect his supply of raw milk in the YouTube episode.

He refers to it as a “superfood” that, he says, “is good for the stomach, good for the skin, the bones, and muscles,” and that’s why I consume it.

The striker has a history of drinking one glass of wine each morning and another after training, according to sources close to him.

Simply put, Haaland believes that this will help him become healthier, which is crucial for an athlete at the top of their line of work. In essence, it’s more about him making a life decision than about choosing what to eat while exercising.

Some of Haaland’s City team-mates reportedly drank raw milk before his arrival, though it is unknown how many or how much.

In the UK, the majority of milk is heated or pasteurized to kill off harmful bacteria. Raw drinking milk does not work the same way, instead flowing straight to the bottle without any treatment.

According to FSA deputy director of policy Natasha Smith, “Raw milk may contain food poisoning bacteria, so there are additional checks and hygiene standards for producers of raw drinking milk.”

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, raw cow’s drinking milk can only be sold to consumers through registered farmers’ markets, milk-round vehicles, and distributors. In Scotland, it is prohibited.

Raw milk must be produced on farms that adhere to hygiene standards, are regularly inspected twice a year, and have a health warning on its packaging. It must also be produced on animals that are free from diseases like tuberculosis.

The FSA claims that there has been more popularity of raw milk because “people believe it has health benefits,” despite its label as a “risky” product, despite the fact that it lists few solid scientific supporting that claim.

Since the episode was posted, the dairy farm where Haaland was filmed buying milk had stated on Facebook that it had been “rather in demand” and that it hoped to “buy a new dairy cow very soon” to enable quicker delivery of orders.

Dan Richardson, a former nutritionist for the City Academy, stated to BBC Sport that he would always try to find the “safest approach possible” in order to “not compromise on the safety of food.”

He continued, “The challenge with raw milk is that some businesses can get good at reducing the risk factor for bacteria, and I’m confident that Haaland will use the best quality available.”

A nutritionist won’t let him purchase raw milk that is highly susceptible to contamination. People will go out and purchase the least expensive and most readily available version of these eating habits, which may carry food-borne illnesses, when people begin to copy these habits.

When asked if he thought the practice of drinking raw milk would take off, Richardson responded, “Unfortunately, I can see it happening.

Drinking raw milk is a part of a unique off-field routine that also includes maple syrup and red-light therapy for Haaland.

Young athletes should remember that consuming three regular meals with snacks, consuming the right amount of carbohydrates, and consuming the right amount of protein is a better strategy than following trends, Richardson continued.

Some athletes try to emulate a role model rather than perform the seemingly mundane tasks very well.