Malta’s milk heritage celebrated in new book

The Malta Food Agency has unveiled Il-Ħalib: Storja, Xjenza u Kultura, a new publication exploring the historical, scientific, and cultural significance of milk in Malta. The launch took place on 6th October at San Anton Palace under the distinguished patronage of Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta.

The book, which celebrates Malta’s dairy heritage, brings together the expertise of researchers and professionals across multiple disciplines.

In her address, President Spiteri Debono commended the Malta Food Agency and the team of authors for their engaging research, noting that the work “captures the rich heritage and evolving story of a product that has nourished generations and shaped local traditions.”

She also expressed gratitude to the Malta Food Agency for its decision to donate all proceeds from the sale of the book to the Malta Community Chest Fund – a gesture she described as “a meaningful act that ties the nourishment of body and mind to the nourishment of community.”

Malta Food Agency CEO Brian Vella thanked all contributors and collaborators who made the project possible. He described the publication as “a tribute to the people, practices, and traditions that shaped our relationship with food,” adding that sharing such stories ensures that “the knowledge and pride of our past are passed from one generation to the next.”

Professor Carmel Borg later wrote a reflective address on his social media, weaving together personal memories of a childhood surrounded by farm animals with broader reflections on climate change, ethics, and social class. “It was a moment that bridged the intimate and the collective,” he said, “linking the sensory memory of milk and land with the urgent moral questions of our time.”

Il-Ħalib: Storja, Xjenza u Kultura is available for purchase from the Malta Food Agency’s Customer Care Office, with all proceeds in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.