Raw Milk Truth

During last month's dairy farm tours that I provided to the Northwest Arkansas home school students and their families, I was asked several times if we sold raw milk (unpasteurized milk) from the farm.
The simple answer was NO but it provided me the opportunity to share the facts about the benefits of pasteurization. 

As a dairy farmer, mother and a nurse, I'm passionate about the importance pasteurization plays in providing safe milk and dairy products. Since the introduction of pasteurization more than a century ago, it has been recognized around the world as an essential tool for ensuring that milk and dairy foods are safe.

Although many states (including Arkansas)  are now allowing the sale of raw milk (unpasteurized milk) it is a violation of federal law to sell raw milk for consumer use across state lines.

Pasteurization has helped provide safe, nutrient rich milk, and cheese for over 100 years and because of pasteurization, less than 1.5 percent of annual food borne illness outbreaks in the United States involve dairy foods.

Here are some proven facts about milk and pasteurization:
--Pasteurization DOES kill harmful bacteria.
--Pasteurization DOES save lives.
--Raw milk DOES NOT kill dangerous pathogens by itself.
--Pasteurizing milk DOES NOT cause lactose intolerance and allergic reaction.
--Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk's nutritional value.

Harmful bacteria can seriously affect the health of anyone who drinks raw milk, or eats foods made from raw milk. However, the bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, older adults, pregnant women, and children.

Thanks to proven science and technology tools like pasteurization, dairy farmers will continue providing safe, high-quality milk for my family and yours!

Dairy Farm Food Safety

Single digit temperatures are not our favorite kind of weather

 down on the dairy farm, but so far the calves and cows are doing very well. 

 I am  spending more time than usual observing each calf for any sign 

or symptom of illness that often occurs with the stress 

created by  extreme weather changes.

                            If  our calves become sick and require treatment with an antibiotic,
                            we follow a treatment plan that has been designed by our veterinarian.

                                          It's a fact that healthy animals are the  foundation
                                                     of a safe and abundant food supply.
                                           
                         

                         

Dairy Q&A

Question:

How many times a day do you milk your cows?

Answer:

We milk our dairy cows in the milking herd   twice a day, every day of the year.

 Some dairy farms milk three times a day. 

Milking equipment delivers milk directly from the cows to a refrigerated holding tank to preserve freshness and safety. 

Do Cows Have Hormones?

 

Like all mammals, cows have hormones.  Cows have a naturally occurring protein hormone produced in the pituitary gland called bovine somatotropin (bST). This hormone regulates metabolic activities and helps young cattle grow and adult cattle to  produce milk. This natural hormone does not have any physiological effect on humans consuming the milk because:

• bST is species-specific, meaning that it is biologically inactive in humans
• When milk is consumed, the small amount of bST present is broken down completely by the body's digestive system, just like any other protein.
• Pasteurization destroys 90% of bST in milk.

In 1993,  artificial bovine somatotropin hormone (rbST) was developed and after extensive review  approved by the Food and Drug Administration   that could boost milk production and ensure a plentiful supply of milk. 

While  scientific studies have found no difference between milk from cows that are given the artificial hormone from cows that are not, consumers wanted a choice in how milk is produced. You now find milk labeled with the pledge from dairy farmers that produce milk without using this approved technology tool .

 

We support consumer choices but it's important to understand that carton to carton, bottle to bottle, all milk is wholesome, safe and nutritious.

Milk's Raw Deal

Although we work every day on the dairy farm to produce safe milk by following proven production practices and caring for our animals to keep them healthy, the fact is that pasteurization of milk is scientifically proven to be the key to providing a safe product for consumers. Pasteurization doesn't change the nutritional value of milk but it does kill harmful bacteria. Ignoring the benefits of pasteurization  can definitely lead to a raw deal when it comes to your health.

In today's world, whether it makes sense or not to me, there are folks who believe it is their liberty to ignore the rules of food safety and partake of raw milk without any guidelines provided by government regulations that provide for safe food. I've never thought about food safety as being a liberty issue and I just can't get my mind wrapped around this approach.

There are an increasing number of states that have legalized the retail  sale of raw milk directly to consumers without pasteurization. Each state differs in the rules or regulations but no matter how the rules are written, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that :

• states that allow the legal sale of raw milk for human consumption have an increased number of raw milk-related outbreaks of illness than states that do not allow raw milk sales.
• Bacteria in raw milk is especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems,older adults,pregnant women and children. In fact, 80% of raw milk illness occurs in children and teenagers.

You can find more information about milk's raw deal at Real Raw Milk Facts or MidwestDairy.

I don't eat raw chicken or  raw beef so...why would I  drink raw milk? For me,it's a food safety issue.

Dairy's Safety Tool

As a dairy farmer,mother and a nurse, I'm passionate about the importance pasteurization plays in providing safe milk and dairy products. Since the introduction of pasteurization more than a century ago, it has been recognized around the world as an essential tool for ensuring that milk and dairy foods are safe.

Although many states are now allowing the sale of raw milk, also known as unpasteurized milk, it is a violation of federal law to sell raw milk for consumer use across state lines. Arkansas does not allow the sale of raw milk but it's quite possible that during this current legislative session, that a bill will be introduced to allow the sale of raw milk in Arkansas.

Pasteurization has helped provide safe,nutrient rich milk and cheese for over one hundred years and because of pasteurization, less than 1.5 percent of annual foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States involve dairy foods.

Here are some proven facts about milk and pasteurization:

• Pasteurization DOES kill harmful bacteria.
• Pasteurization DOES save lives.
• Raw milk DOES NOT kill dangerous pathogens by itself.
• Pasteurizing milk DOES NOT cause lactose intolerance and allergic reactions.Both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins.
• Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk's nutritional value.

You can find more milk safety and nutrition information at Midwest Dairy or Dairy Farming Today.

 

Thanks to proven science and technology tools like pasteurization,

dairy farmers will continue providing safe,high-quality milk !!

                                           

Dairy's Natural Combination

Like cookies and milk, dairy farming and family are just a natural combination. While we  were celebrating Cody's twenty-fourth birthday today, bringing out the picture album seemed a natural response to questions about the early days of number one son. It's obvious from looking at these pictures that our dairy farm family milestones are intermingled with dairy farming.

The year Cody was born, 1988,  was also the year our current milking facility was built  and included the addition of a stainless steel milk tank that stores 28,000 pounds of milk. Stainless steel refrigerated milk tanks are needed to store the milk and keep the milk cool until it is transported to the milk processing plant. Refrigerated milk tanks are an important part of the system that make milk the safest foods available.


Just as our family is growing and changing, we are also looking at innovative practices to make our farm more sustainable. Cooling the milk more efficiently is one of those practices under consideration. The milk tank will still be needed for storing the milk, but new and more innovative equipment will help to conserve energy and reduce the operational cost in cooling the milk.

Bringing new innovative technology into our dairy farming operation is a natural combination with our dairy farm family's mission statement to produce the highest quality, lowest cost milk possible in an environmentally responsible manner.

 

Food and Drug Safety

Even though we've been having the most beautiful,not too cold January weather, we have had a couple of calves become very sick with pneumonia in the last few days. Young calves require daily consistent monitoring because they are susceptible to respiratory illness when we have erratic or unusual shifts in temperatures or changes in humidity.

Our commitment to providing high-quality milk begins with taking good care of each dairy calf that is born and raised on our farm.  Each dairy heifer calf is a future milk producing cow on our farm.  As each animal grows and matures, we are providing a nutritious diet,good medical care and healthy conditions.When a calf  develops a respiratory illness, we treat them with an  antibiotic that is prescribed by our veterinarian. The list of medications that are approved for use in food animals is provided by the Food and Drug Administration.  Every drug has its own particular dosage rates,  number of treatment days  and specific instructions for its use. We follow directions for treating a calf  with an antibiotic just as you would treat  your self or your child.

I'm very grateful for the science that provides medications to treat illness in humans and animals.  I can't imagine living in the days of no penicillin or aspirin!  On the farm, we count on using sound science and best management practices in providing the safest,most affordable food for consumers. Responsible use of any medication used for treating illness in food animals is an important key to providing safe food.

Safeguards for Dairy Food Safety

As a dairy farmer and producer of food for the consuming public, I take food safety very seriously. Dairy products are among the most tested and regulated foods in our nation. Before dairy foods reach the grocery store, dairy farms and processing plants must meet stringent federal and state regulations that are in place by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,FDA and state regulatory agencies. From the birth of a baby calf in our pasture to the dairy cow being milked in our milk parlor, we are doing everything in our power on the farm to make sure our dairy cattle are healthy and well cared for to assure production of safe,high quality milk.

Producing safe milk is the priority of every dairy farmer. These are ways we work to provide wholesome,safe milk on the farm:

-follow strict sanitary procedures each time the cow is milked and work to keep all

equipment clean

-milk is never touched by human hands because the milk flows directly from the cow through a

stainless steel pipe into a refrigerated tank

-cool the milk in the tank to 45 degrees F or less within two hours after completion of milking

-keep milk refrigerated at or below 40 degrees until transported to the processing plant

Safe milk handling continues at the processing plant by checking the temperature of the milk to ensure it has been kept at or below 40 degrees F during distribution and delivered within 48 hours after the cow has been milked. The milk is then pasteurized,homogenized, packaged, and distributed. These are facts about pasteurization:

- Pasteurization is the scientific process used to kill any harmful microorganisms that might be present in the milk by heating the milk to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds and then cooling it rapidly.

- Pasteurization is a critical step in the production of safe milk.

-Pasteurization assures milk safety and also extends the shelf life of the milk.

-There is no scientific evidence to suggest that there is any meaningful difference the nutritional value of pasteurized and unpasteurized milk.

- Because of pasteurization, less than 1.5 percent of annual food borne illness outbreaks in the United States involve dairy foods.

Are you concerned about the safety of milk or the dairy foods you purchase? I'd love to answer any questions or respond to concerns. You can find more detailed information about milk production and how we produce safe dairy products at http://www.midwestdairy.com/.

America's Milk Safety

America's dairy farmers provide safe milk. When I go to buy my two or three gallons every week at the grocery store, I never worry about milk safety because I have first hand knowledge of how milk gets to the store. Three hundred sixty five days a year, we milk three hundred cows twice daily. Along with the nation's 55,000 dairy producers, we take our responsibility seriously when it comes to providing a safe product. Milk is the most highly tested and regulated food that is available to consumers. Safety of milk starts on the farm with proper care of our animals and vigilant milking procedures. Our animals receive medication only when sick. Treatment plans are developed by our veterinarian to provide proper care. On our farm, if a milk cow is treated with an antibiotic, that cow is milked in a separate container and the milk is thrown away. That treated cow's milk will not be allowed into the bulk milk tank until a sample of her milk is tested by our dairy cooperative lab and proven free of antibiotics. Each time milk is picked up on our farm to travel to the processing plant, a sample of milk is taken by the milk truck driver and carried to the plant. Before the milk is unloaded at the plant, the milk is tested for antibiotics. It is unloaded into a milk silo before processing and will be tested again before it is pasteurized and bottled. If at any time, antibiotic is found in the milk, the milk is discarded. The commitment of the dairy industry to provide safe products is reinforced by a statement from the National Milk Producers Federation this week:

The U.S. milk industry has an exemplary record concerning management of antibiotics. Under a comprehensive program administered by the state regulatory authorities and overseen by FDA, the U.S. dairy industry conducts nearly 4 million tests each year to ensure that antibiotics are kept out of the milk supply. For example in 2009, only .028% tested positive, and those very rare cases, the mik is not sold to the public. http://www.nmpf.org/latest-news/press-releases/jan-2011/dairy-industry-statement-on-supplemental-antibiotic-residue-test

Rest assured, America's dairy farmers are committed to providing safe and wholesome milk to consumers.