Article - Raw Milk Drinking Returns, Should It?

[wharris]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/05/31/raw-milk-drinking-returns/

[darius]

Thanks for posting that link! I was already in favor of raw milk as a choice, then with learning to make cheese, it's a no-brainer.

[ArnaudForestier]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/05/31/raw-milk-drinking-returns/

I actually met Nina Planck at this year's Grazing Conference, and saw her speak.  She makes a very compelling argument.  I do believe in raw milk, and believe, further, in the right of individuals to choose it, if they so desire.  I think the key is the way it's raised (grass, pastured) and a rigorous HAACP/inspection program - not criminalization. 

The whole thing is so loaded.  Vacherin Mont D'Or - listeria outbreak.  Yikes!  It's the raw milk, has to be!  After all, this is a cheese younger than 60 days (such an arbitrary figure - wholly ungrounded in evidence), made with raw milk!  Stop eating French Mont D'Or!

-only it was made in Switzerland, from pasteurized milk.  But listeria hysteria caught like wildfire. 

Modernity has made wonderful advances.  We've also trained our bodies, and the entire earth, to live within such narrow bands, that we no longer know how to fight disease without allopathic intervention.
 

[steffb503]

Legal in NY. No need for it to return, it never left.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Events like the E. coli outbreak in Europe right now, where over 20 people have died, makes food bureaucrats really nervous.

[wharris]

Modernity has made wonderful advances.  We've also trained our bodies, and the entire earth, to live within such narrow bands, that we no longer know how to fight disease without allopathic intervention.

Kinda gives credit to what I was always told in little-league when I had a scrape:  "Rub some dirt in it, you'll be fine"

[darius]

I thought the survey at the end of that article was interesting... when I took it, results shower nearly 80% (of the 10,000 or so who took the survey) would drink raw milk.

Sailor, when I read this morning about the outbreak of e. coli in Europe, my first thought was "what will it do to the raw milk campaign" here in the US...

[ArnaudForestier]

Events like the E. coli outbreak in Europe right now, where over 20 people have died, makes food bureaucrats really nervous.

Just listened to this on NPR (on my way to pick up a bunch of Danisco pouches...lol).  Seems Russia is banning all raw vegetables from W. Europe, not just the earlier ones from Germany and, Spain, I think it was?  EEU is crying foul.  Very curious on this one's etiology.

Kinda gives credit to what I was always told in little-league when I had a scrape:  "Rub some dirt in it, you'll be fine"

Man, you had that coach too?   

...my first thought was "what will it do to the raw milk campaign" here in the US...

Yep, right there with you, darius. 

[sstrantz]

Every time I read/hear anything about raw milk it just makes my blood pressure raise.   

I get so frustrated with all the misinformation.

Darius -  also noticed the % on the survey - that was very encouraging.

[darius]

Here's an interesting news item. Be sure to read all the comments!

Defiance in KY, As Food Club Members Grab "Quarantined" Raw Milk; Allgyer Claims FDA Search Warrant "Null and Void" Because Agency Lacked Farm Authority
http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2011/5/29/defiance-in-ky-as-food-club-members-grab-quarantined-raw-mil.html?SSLoginOk=true

[Sailor Con Queso]

We Kentuckians have always been a defiant bunch.

[ArnaudForestier]

Love it, Darius - and go, Sailor and Co!

[Boofer]

What isn't mentioned are the cases of contaminated pasteurized milk. Hello! Again, there's no magic in pasteurization. If the milk or milk product is mishandled after pasteurization, what have you gained? A false sense of food safety and a lower quality white liquid.

It brings to mind the cases of tainted spinach, peppers, and tomatoes in California within the past couple years. When I lived there several years ago, Organic Pastures was one of only two raw milk dairies in the state and the powers-to-be were working hard to shut them down.

Haven't the bureaucrats got more pressing issues than policing the raw milk dairies? How about checking the meat producers so e. coli doesn't require recalls of millions of pounds of ground beef (which seems to happen quite frequently)?

Okay, off the soapbox...sorry.            Got RAW Milk?

-Boofer-

[darius]

Boofer, this was in the Comments on the KY article:

"Do not forget to share the CDC data on pasteurized verses raw milk deaths and illness. 422,000 sick people from pasteurized milk since 1973 verses 1100 from raw milk since 1973. At least 20 deaths from pasteurized milk (80 if miscarriages are counted ) ZERO deaths from raw milk (official CDC data)"

However, you are very correct that contamination of milk or any food product can come later in the chain of control, esp. the end-user who may fail to wash or refrigerate appropriately.

[ArnaudForestier]

Bingo, Boof and Darius.  It's never raised.  It's an uphill battle to educate, and truly reach people, but I'm hopeful that so long as raw milk producers understand they (we, I hope - see below) have to work doubly, triply hard to provide top-notch, clean milk, I think the game will be won, eventually.

Boof, crazy you're mentioning Organic Pastures.  Just been exchanging with Pav today, and a couple of local friends, on how they do what they're doing.  Might as well make the announcement now, I've been accepted into the UW Madison School for Beginning Dairy & Livestock Farmers, emphasis in Pasture-Based Dairying.  I won't have a ton of cash on hand, to try and achieve a dream.  The portability that they of Organic Pastures do is something under very close study for me these days.  Today, to be exact, so pretty wild, your synchronicity, Boof.