On December 12, 2003, American nutrition professor Campbell, at the Oriental Science and Technology Forum held in Shanghai, proposed the view that excessive consumption of milk leads to high intake of animal protein, which can "trigger" cancer cells. On June 3, 2004, the Southern Daily published a report stating that a British professor believed dairy products are a catalyst for human carcinogenesis. In the following years, numerous articles from foreign studies on the harmful effects of milk on human health were widely reposted on Sina Blogs, Baidu Tieba, and various community forums, and even spread on websites such as "Bio谷" (Bio谷) and "Health Online".
In response to this claim, the Life Times, on December 19, 2006, conducted a phone interview with Professor Campbell and domestic experts, debunking the "milk causes cancer" theory for the first time, stating it was based on excessive consumption and research on Western dietary structures. On March 23, 2007, the website of the Ministry of Health published in full a signed article co-authored by 15 authoritative domestic experts titled "Health Education Should Respect Science and Facts—Refuting the 'Milk is Harmful' Theory." On May 31, the day before World Milk Day, the People's Daily published a full-page rebuttal and information on the health benefits of milk. To this day, the claim that "milk causes cancer" continues to mislead people on major social media platforms. The article "Milk is Sending Humanity to its Grave in Cancer," which once went viral on social media, once again pushed the safety of milk to the forefront of public debate.