The U.S. Dairy industry Monday launched a campaign promoting the increased importance of vitamin D — positioning milk as an an alternative to sunlight as a source of “the sunshine vitamin” since many people do not get enough sunlight to make vitamin D.

The campaign — which centers around calling milk “Liquid Sunshine” — supports the use of sunscreen, but does not question the fact that sunshine is the primary source of vitamin D.

“Eighty-eight percent of Americans believe they get the vitamin D they need from the sun, according to a recent survey commissioned by the National Milk Mustache ‘got milk?’ Campaign,” a press release promoting the initiative said – interesting wording which does not deny the fact that sunshine is the primary source of vitamin D, but almost gives one the impression that sunshine isn’t an effective source.

The campaign falls short of the big point on vitamin D: That daily intake isn’t what people should be measuring, but rather blood concentration of vitamin D. “An 8-ounce glass of milk has 100 IU of vitamin D, which we know is no less than100 times less than what a person makes getting a suntan,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “What’s important is that vitamin D blood levels be measured and increased to 40-60 ng/ml — it would take more milk than you can drink to get you there. UV from sunshine has to be the center pin of that equation.”

Click here to read the press release announcing the effort.