{"id":2939,"date":"2015-02-20T06:26:44","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T06:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wpmigration\/?p=2939"},"modified":"2015-02-20T06:29:42","modified_gmt":"2015-02-20T06:29:42","slug":"the-risk-of-raw-milk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/articles\/the-risk-of-raw-milk\/","title":{"rendered":"The Risk of Raw Milk"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

\u00a0What are some of the riskiest things you do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Drive on icy roads?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tell the wife she looks fat in that sweater?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eat prepackaged donuts from the gas station checkout line?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Risk<\/p>\n

There is a reason I ask: this was the defining subject of debate during a two-hour hearing in the Montana State Legislature.\u00a0 Okay, maybe not the part about looking fat, but the part about risk.\u00a0 You see, it was a two-hour debate about whether people should have the freedom of choice on drinking fresh milk as God intended or if people should be forced to only drink milk that has gone through the Industrial Age de-flavoring, de-nutritionalizing, and deconstructing process currently required by law (aka, pasteurization).<\/p>\n

Drinking animal milk is a choice; you do not have to do it and many people do not.\u00a0 I\u2019m making that point upfront because I\u2019m hoping to stave off the comments below to that effect; if that is your choice and you are healthy, excellent.\u00a0 But our family found that we have our most excellent health<\/a> when we have access to high-fat, grass-fed, creamy deliciousness.\u00a0 One week without it and asthma returns for one child, allergies for another, and colds & sickness for all flare into existence.\u00a0 So, with the high level of academic research that Wilson & I put into every subject directly affecting our plates (or glasses), we did make a unanimous decision to obtain and drink raw milk when possible. Our choice is a personal one, as is yours. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Raw<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Photo: Learning & Yearning, “Farm Life Boosts Immunity”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Risk.\u00a0 It is almost like the humming refrigerator or ticking clock; risk has its own \u201cwhite noise effect\u201d in which you no longer see common risk at all.\u00a0 You walk up and down stairs everyday, perhaps you get into a car.\u00a0 Well, that one still feels like a risk if my dad is driving, but I think you see my point.\u00a0 You think \u201cI\u2019m not a risk-taker,\u201d but you did eat that salad with the store-bought spinach.\u00a0 There is an element of risk involved in nearly every action of your life; so you evaluate which ones are necessary and avoid the rest.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s further this discussion by discussing the risk of milk (raw or otherwise) in systematic terms:<\/p>\n

#1:\u00a0\u00a0 Risk Belongs to the Risk Taker<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s just make the assumption right now that there is risk involved in drinking raw milk.\u00a0 Who are you to tell me that it is an unnecessary risk for me<\/em>?\u00a0 Should I tell you that eating the processed food in your cupboard is an unnecessary risk for you?\u00a0 Well, I am<\/em> going to tell you that\u2026but I am not going to make it law.\u00a0 Nor should someone else make it law that a complete, living, and functional food found in nature (and as old as mammals themselves) is against the law for me.<\/p>\n

#2:\u00a0 All Options Carry Risk in Some Form<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Again, let us make the assumption that there is risk involved in drinking raw milk.\u00a0 Okay, there is.\u00a0 But are we also making the assumption that there is no risk<\/em> involved in drinking pasteurized industrial sludge? It does not follow.\u00a0 It does not follow that because raw milk has a certain element of risk that all other alternatives are somehow safe or healthy.\u00a0 They must all stand and fall on their own merit\u2014and if you read the literature or follow the FDA\u2019s recall list, you will not come to the conclusion that grocery store food or pasteurized milk is risk-less.\u00a0 \u00a0I just pulled up the FDA\u2019s recall list<\/a>, and a pasteurized cheese appeared on page one for Listeria, with more cheese, ice cream, and other pasteurized dairy products on subsequent pages. But then again, there is also a recall due to Listeria on\u2026apples! In our modern food system, consider everything a risk. <\/strong><\/p>\n

#3: Pasteurization is experimental in the annals of history.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Prior to the last 150 years, there was no term for \u201craw milk\u201d\u2014people called it milk<\/em>. \u00a0\u00a0Technology birthed extremely large farms with unprecedented numbers of animals; modern animal sciences devote nearly all research programs to study \u201calternate feeds\u201d to continuously cut the most costs before making sickly animals. Before there were heavily-funded studies to promote CAFO-style farming, people were doing it anyway, and pasteurization could mean the continuation of poor practice<\/a> .\u00a0 Pasteurization came during a time of high infant mortality, unchecked disease, and urban migration.\u00a0 The squalor of city life in the Industrial Age coupled with the mead mash fed to pent-up cows led to a dire need for something.\u00a0 Remember, Lister did not make popular the idea of sanitization until the 1870\u2019s.\u00a0 Filthy conditions and malnourished animals led to many deaths. \u00a0Sickly milk from sickly cows that was processed in an unsanitary way was a common carrier for Tuberculosis and Typhoid<\/a>, although there is historical evidence that the initial reports of these connections<\/a> were false or based on faulty science.<\/p>\n

\n

One could say that pasteurization saved lives. \u00a0In actuality, the filthy conditions and malnourished animals took lives<\/em> and pasteurization only meant that it took less of them.\u00a0 Did pasteurization fix the problem, or was it as Tylenol for cancer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

I have a treasured friendship with someone who is in complete disagreement with me about many lifestyle choices.\u00a0 One day, the subject of fresh milk came up and she said, \u201cI could never give my kids milk that wasn\u2019t pasteurized.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 Taken aback I said, \u201cOh, I thought you said you breastfed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Breastfeeding\"<\/p>\n

For all the nutritional reasons your pregnancy books encouraged you to feed real milk to your infant, a cow\u2019s milk was designed to provide for its offspring.\u00a0 It\u2019s a misconception that human milk carries no pathogens\u2014it has been proven time and again to carry pathogens.\u00a0 But with those, it carries enzymes, vitamins, and other immune-system building qualities that protect the child from illness.\u00a0 Remember, nothing kills bad bacteria as wholly or as naturally as good bacteria<\/a>, and pasteurization kills it all.<\/p>\n

\"Good<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0 #4: Pasteurization cannot protect you from post-processing bacteria. <\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Pasteurization is a middle step with many bacterial opportunities lurking from post-processing to transportation to packaging to your table.\u00a0 Here are some of the steps<\/a> to the process:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The first (and one of the more dangerous) points of bacterial interference takes place at the milking.\u00a0<\/strong> What is the cleanliness of the udders?\u00a0 The condition of the stainless steel pail?\u00a0 Is it open or closed, allowing airborne particles of straw or manure to enter?\u00a0 Sure, pasteurization can kill that bacteria, but dairies that depend upon pasteurization to do so may not meet your personal standards.\u00a0 A homesteader or small farmer creating a fresh product for personal use takes a vested interest, I promise.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cPasteurization has had the effect of lowering our standards as to what\u2019s consumable by humans.\u201d \u2013 \u201cPasteurization in School Lunches\u201d by Law for Food<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Pasteurization<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Raw milk intended for pasteurization now must be transported\u2014 mixed with milks from other farms in large tanker trucks that carry between 4,000-8,000 gallons of milk<\/a> <\/strong>so that all farm traceability is now gone forever.\u00a0 Perhaps one farm is impeccable; another down the road is not.\u00a0 Now all milk is compromised en route to the pasteurization process.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pasteurization Process:<\/strong> If the proper temperatures are achieved and the equipment fully sanitized and functional, this should kill the most dangerous of bacteria.\u00a0 It is not likely to kill all bacteria, however, and there are certainly instances in which things do not go swimmingly. \u00a0There is also something called a plate heat exchanger which uses gaskets<\/a> to keep the raw milk from re-contaminating the pasteurized milk.\u00a0 If gaskets are overtightened, were improperly installed, were exposed to too high a heat for long periods of time, or were not properly maintained<\/a>, the milk is contaminated.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Homogenization and Separation:<\/strong> Milk destined for the grocery store consumer is generally homogenized and then separated into it\u2019s products\u20141%, 2%, cream, and so on.\u00a0 More processing.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Packaging<\/strong>\u2014more tubing, more handling, more materials.<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Transportation<\/strong>\u2014is the milk consistently held at the proper temperature and out of light through the transportation, delivery, and shelf life at the store?<\/p>\n

As you can see, there are as many steps after pasteurization as there were before it.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

#5: Legal Inconsistencies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Just as it would be a logical fallacy to assume that pasteurization carries no risk simply because raw milk does, it would also be a logical fallacy for raw milk advocates to insist that raw milk is 100% \u00a0safe because twinkies, cigarettes, and other legal substances are anything but safe.\u00a0 We want to scream about the hypocrisy (and indeed, I have) about the government-business conspiracy of lacing our foods with TBHQ<\/a> or Azodicarbonamide<\/a> and about the entire FDA GRAS system<\/a> even while they outlaw the most natural substance found on Planet Earth.\u00a0 We should point out these inconsistencies\u2014but understand that it in no way minimizes the risk of fresh milk because twinkies will kill you first.<\/p>\n

Just the same, we must\u2014it\u2019s an absolute must\u2014point out these legal inconsistencies so that we can shed light upon the back room dealings from whence they come.\u00a0 \u00a0The inconsistencies matter because Lady Justice is (supposed to be) blind; if one group is permitted exemption or immunity then should not another with equal merit?\u00a0 When instances of food borne illnesses are more consistently found (in larger numbers and with greater devastation) in fast food restaurants and meat packing plants, why is a local farmer\u2019s produce banned from retail sales? I will leave you with an excellent question from Law for Food in an article entitled \u201cIs There a U.S. Government Bias on Raw Milk:\u201d<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCan the ban on raw milk be justified in public health terms if foods equally or more likely to be vectors for the same illnesses are not banned?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just keepin’ it raw.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

–Chaya<\/p>\n

\n

Proviso:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice.\u00a0 You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.\u00a0 Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Comments<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Lynn<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 2, 2015 5:19:15 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Well said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

tessa<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 2, 2015 10:35:46 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sing it, sista!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Christine |Once Upon a Time in a Bed of Wildflowers<\/h4>\n

posted on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 5:46:21 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

LOVE it! This was well-written, thought provoking, and just plain fun to read! Though I have to admit that the “raw milk debate” is something that really annoys me. I am pretty darn sure that I can decide for myself whether or not to drink raw milk, and whether or not a particular farm or dairy suits my standards. I hate it when the ability to make decisions is taken from me by fear, propaganda, and back room deals!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Anne<\/h4>\n

posted on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 9:31:50 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I have no problems drinking raw milk that comes from our own cows, but I know farms around us that I would not drink their milk even if it was pasteurized. The bottom line is choice. The government has no right to tell me what I will or will not eat.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

The Farmer’s Lamp<\/h4>\n

posted on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 9:37:44 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Chaya, You did a thorough, excellent job on this article. We too have the blessing of the many benefits of raw milk consumption. I thank you for sharing this article. I am sharing it on FB, Pinterest Board, and G+<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

ABL Technology<\/h4>\n

posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 6:14:28 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I am impressed with your knowledge and I liked your post. Keep up sharing such nice information with us.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Tara<\/h4>\n

posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 7:22:07 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Nice article! Pasteurization came about for a “safe” way to distribute mass production of milk. But like anything else …it’s an experiment! Years later we see the side effects, etc. just like they say it’s actually better for everyone to drink whole milk. I think it’s unconstitutional to say you cannot drink raw milk.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n

heather<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 9, 2015 9:33:23 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

thank you! get the word out! bless you.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Lisa<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 9, 2015 12:21:24 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I loved this article and agree that we should be able to drink raw milk if we want! God does not make mistakes! Humans do!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Kate<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 9, 2015 12:34:30 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Our five children…now all almost adults..have drunk\/were raised on raw milk since early childhood…20years..we use to have shares in a cow!..till that was banned…they all have amazing immune systems, were never ill from raw milk, the milk could last up to 10 days at the coldest back part of the fridge, they are not immunised either, rarely were ever I’ll except for a sniffly cold maybe that I treated with High Vit C and colloidal silver…..once in October we returned from holidays to discover the entire kindy of 60 families had been I’ll from chicken pox for 3 weeks! True and our in immunised family the only ones still healthy!..they were all breast fed till at least 1 yr…raw milk is fantastic<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Kate<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 9, 2015 12:38:15 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Our five children…now all almost adults..have drunk\/were raised on raw milk since early childhood…20years..we use to have shares in a cow!..till that was banned…they all have amazing immune systems, were never ill from raw milk, the milk could last up to 10 days at the coldest back part of the fridge, they are not immunised either, rarely were ever I’ll except for a sniffly cold maybe that I treated with High Vit C and colloidal silver…..once in October we returned from holidays to discover the entire kindy of 60 families had been I’ll from chicken pox for 3 weeks! True and our in immunised family the only ones still healthy!..they were all breast fed till at least 1 yr…raw milk is fantastic<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

Martha<\/h4>\n

posted on Monday, February 9, 2015 3:33:55 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What convinced me on raw milk was my aunt had a cow and used to have bowls of milk on the kitchen table souring, maybe for curds and whey. We took baths in a galvanized tub in the kitchen. When we moved from California to Texas, I had a tub of beloved Organic Pastures butter in a styrofoam chest with ice, I was negligent about replacing as I was trying to make the trip a vacation as well. Soon the butter had an off smell, yet I couldn’t toss it, maybe because no matter how strong smelling their cheese got, I always ultimately ate and relished them. My niece and I both enjoyed the butter in Texas- it somehow smelled better by then (good bacteria ate bad). Then, after Fukashima, I filled my frig and a few in freezer of raw milk gallons. They tasted so yummy after they turned sour and champagne bubbly, when we got more, we waited till they got that way to drink. The frozen ones just rotted as quick as pasteurized.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

judy maharrey<\/h4>\n

posted on Saturday, February 14, 2015 3:19:31 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

as a child we drank milk straight from the cow. no one was sick. when i started school, we were given pasteurized mik. i got sick, threw up the milk every time i drank it. to this day i am considered lactose intolerant.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0What are some of the riskiest things you do?\u00a0 Drive on icy roads?\u00a0 Tell the wife she looks fat in that sweater? Eat prepackaged donuts from the gas station checkout line?   There is a reason I ask: this was the defining subject of debate during a two-hour hearing in the Montana State Legislature.\u00a0 Okay, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[53,297],"tags":[365,366,364],"yst_prominent_words":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/The-Risk-of-Raw-Milk.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fvks-Lp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2939"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2939"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=2939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}