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!

Crying Over Raw Milk

I don't cry about spilt milk but as a dairy farmer,mom, and registered nurse, I do feel like crying when I read about children or adults who have gotten sick from drinking raw milk. Drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk is a health risk. Is it really food freedom to subject your children to illness? Reading about the nine children in Tennessee sickened and hospitalized in November due to an E.coli outbreak caused by raw milk is distressing because it was unnecessary.

 According to Food Safety News, two of the nine children developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal kidney disease associated with severe E.coli infections. In just two weeks, five year old Maddie Powell's medical bills had mounted to more than $125,000 and that's not the final bill. Is food freedom worth risking your family's health or life?

From the dairy producer that was involved in this recent outbreak, to the comments from the head of the largest raw milk dairy in the nation, it's obvious they don't seem to understand or believe the proven science that pasteurization is the only way to kill  harmful bacteria that can be present in milk regardless of how diligent the dairy farmer works to provide a safe product.

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.
• Both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins.
• Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk's nutritional value.

If you're considering purchasing raw milk for yourself or your family, please consider that children, pregnant women, the elderly and any person with a suppressed immune system are more  susceptible to raw milk illness. You can find more information at  Real Raw Milk Facts or Midwest Dairy. I'm also happy to answer any questions about how we work every day to provide safe, high-quality  milk on our Arkansas dairy.

Raw milk illness is preventable---real  freedom involves making a  a responsible,informed choice.

Raw Milk Freedom

I've given up trying to understand how freedom connects with allowing the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk in Arkansas but it has been the theme for a majority of the Arkansas House of Representatives this session. It shouldn't have surprised me after witnessing one of the committee hearings in Little Rock at the Capital last Friday when I was told that the legislators chanted "Freedom,Freedom,Freedom" inside the House of Representative chambers when they passed the bill to legalize the sale of raw milk. (I'd call that a chant of ignoramus!)

Although all Grade A dairy farmers work to produce safe milk by following proven production methods and caring for our animals to keep them healthy, pasteurization of milk is scientifically proven to be the key to providing a safe product for consumers. The reason we don't have raw milk illness very often is that out of all the milk produced in the United States, only 1% of milk is unpasteurized.

This new law does provide the freedom to sell raw milk but it doesn't offer any protection to Arkansas consumers or Grade A dairy farmers. Grade A dairy farms are permitted by the Arkansas Department of Health, inspected monthly to make sure barns and equipment meet standard and the milk is tested each time it is picked up at the farm.

A thirteen year study by the Center for Disease Contol and Prevention on Nonpasteurized Disease Outbreaks found that :

• Raw milk was much more likely to cause outbreaks than pasteurized milk.
• Outbreaks caused by raw milk tended to cause more severe disease.
• Younger people were affected more in outbreaks caused by raw milk than in outbreaks caused by pasteurized milk.
• States that allow the sale of raw milk had more outbreaks caused by consuming raw milk.

This new law increases the opportunity for raw milk illness by just legalizing raw milk sales. Raw milk illness can impact Grade A dairy farms because this damages the image of all milk. This puts Arkansas Grade A dairy farmers at greater economic risk even though we have produced safe milk because the public will have fear of all milk.

All this new law requires of anyone wishing to sell raw milk is to post a sign at the farm stating you know you are purchasing raw milk and accept the liability. There is no provision in the law for oversight by the Arkansas Health Department or any other state agency to provide any measure of protection to the consumer.

It's a food safety issue---not freedom. You can find more information about raw milk at Real Raw Milk Facts or Midwest Dairy.

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 !!

                                           

Foodie Facts about Dairy Food Safety

Dairy foods are the safest and most regulated foods available due to proper milking procedures,animal care, and pasteurization. For over 100 years, pasteurization has been the key to providing safe,nutrient-rich milk and cheese. During pasteurization, the temperature of milk is raised to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or to at least 161 degrees Fahrenehit for more than 15 seconds and then rapidly cooled. Pasteurization kills any harmful pathogens that are found in raw milk.

According to the Raw Milk Fact Sheet provided by Midwest Dairy, 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.
• The American Medical Associaton and the American Academy of Pediatrics endorse the importance of pasteurization and warn against raw milk consumption especially for children,pregnant women,the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.

Even though it is a violation of federal law to sell raw milk for consumer use across state lines, raw milk regulations vary by state and some states allow the sale of raw milk within their borders. Arkansas does not allow raw milk sales in the state.

The Food and Drug Administration advises consumers to avoid raw milk and offers these tips when buying milk or milk products:

• Read the label on milk or milk products before you buy them. Many companies put the word "pasteurized" right on the label, but it is not required by law.
• Ask store employees if specific brands are pasteurized.
• At farm stands or farmers' markets, ask if the milk and cream being sold have been pasteurized. If the market sells yogurt,ice cream or cheese, as if they were made with pasteurized milk.

You can find more information about dairy food safety and the benefits of milk pasteurization at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. Dairy farmers and the dairy industry overall have a history of providing safe and healthy products.  It's a fact---consuming pasteurized milk is a matter of food safety.