Milk was designated the official state beverage of North Dakota in 1983 to acknowledge the importance of North Dakota's dairy industry to the state's economy. Several other states recognize milk as a state symbol: Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming (see food, drink, and beverage symbols for all states).
Milk has been called a nearly perfect food - a source of protein, calcium, and several other important nutrients. Less than half of milk produced is consumed as a beverage (excess is used for butter, cheese, ice cream, milk powder and other processed products).
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