From Agudos in Brazil, Lopes and colleagues reported in 1984 a small milk fluoridation study lasting 16 months. However, due to the short period, the results were not significant. In Peru, a milk fluoridation programme started in the early 2000s, based on the government programme ‘vaso de leche’, which provides one glass of milk for children each day. The programme was controlled by the University of Trujillo. The children received their milk in ‘Mother’s clubs’, where a fluoride solution prepared by the pharmacies was added to fresh milk brought in by farmers, stirred thoroughly for 15 minutes, and consumed shortly after (1) (Figure 3).
However, the programme was stopped after a few years because of the expanding use of fluoridated salt in that community, before any evaluation was made. The encroachment of fluoridated salt was detected before the community was aware of the presence of fluoridated salt, by monitoring of urinary fluoride excretion.