| We're taught as early as elementary school | | | | good source of the vitamins thiamine, folate, |
| about the French chemist Louis Pasteur | | | | B-12, and riboflavin, and pasteurization |
| and his famous invention: pasteurization. | | | | results in losses of anywhere from zero |
| This is the process of heating food to | | | | to 10 percent for each of these, which |
| kill bacteria, viruses, mold, yeasts and | | | | most would consider only a marginal |
| other potentially harmful organisms. | | | | reduction," says Sheehan. Further, |
| The first pasteurization test was performed | | | | "Pasteurization will destroy some enzymes," |
| back in 1862, after Pasteur noticed that | | | | says Barbara Ingham, Ph.D., associate |
| microorganisms could contaminate | | | | professor and extension food scientist |
| beverages (he later extended this to the | | | | at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "But |
| theory that microorganisms could | | | | the enzymes that are naturally present |
| contaminate humans and animals as well.). But | | | | in milk are bovine enzymes. Our bodies |
| pasteurization did not immediately | | | | don't use animal enzymes to help metabolize |
| become the gold standard for milk production | | | | calcium and other nutrients." The |
| in the United States. | | | | Case for Raw Milk On the other side of |
| In fact, at the end of | | | | the fence are those who say pasteurization |
| the 19th century "swill dairies," in | | | | is unnecessary if cows are raised in |
| which cows were raised in horrible conditions | | | | clean environments, and radically |
| and reportedly fed swill from liquor | | | | changes the structure of the milk, resulting |
| distilleries, were a major problem. The | | | | in an entirely different, and |
| milk from these dairies was of such poor | | | | potentially harmful, food. According to |
| quality that it was thought to be | | | | the Weston A. Price Foundation: |
| contributing to the high death rate of | | | | "Pasteurization destroys enzymes, |
| urban infants at the time (the yearly | | | | diminishes vitamin content, denatures |
| death rate of U.S. infants in cities was | | | | fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins |
| about half of the yearly birth rate). | | | | C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial |
| Thus, a crusade began for certified raw | | | | bacteria, promotes pathogens and is |
| (unpasteurized) milk, which would ensure | | | | associated with allergies, increased tooth |
| certain purity levels of milk and regular | | | | decay, colic in infants, growth |
| inspections of dairies. "Though | | | | problems in children, osteoporosis, |
| more and more milk was being pasteurized, | | | | arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Calves |
| pasteurization was seen by many as a | | | | fed pasteurized milk do poorly and |
| stopgap measure that would no longer be | | | | many die before maturity. Raw milk sours |
| needed once the production and distribution | | | | naturally but pasteurized milk turns |
| of milk was more carefully regulated. | | | | putrid; processors must remove slime |
| Certified milk was the model for the | | | | and pus from pasteurized milk by a process |
| production of better milk everywhere," said | | | | of centrifugal clarification." |
| Ron Schmid, ND, author of The | | | | Raw milk, proponents say, is an |
| Untold Story of Milk. Yet by the | | | | outstanding source of beneficial |
| early 20th century, milk supplies were still | | | | bacteria such as lactobacillus |
| of poor quality, and thought to be | | | | acidolphilus, vitamins, enzmes and |
| involved in many disease outbreaks, | | | | calcium. Further, they say that sickness |
| leading authorities to push for | | | | resulting from raw milk is |
| mandatory pasteurization of all milk | | | | rare--instead, it is pasteurized milk that is |
| except certified raw milk. "Not until | | | | often implicated in outbreaks of |
| the 1930s did commercial dairy interests, | | | | food-borne illness. According to Mark |
| segments of the medical community, | | | | McAfee, founder of Organic Pastures Dairy, |
| politicians and public health agency | | | | which produces a full line of raw |
| officials and their allies in the media begin | | | | organic dairy products for retail sale, |
| a campaign first to smear all raw milk | | | | "During the period 2000 through 2004 there |
| and then to eliminate its availability | | | | were several listeria-related food |
| and sale," Schmid said. Thus began the | | | | recalls in California associated with |
| compulsory pasteurization of milk and the | | | | pasteurized milk products and ice cream. |
| great debate that has spanned centuries: | | | | During this same period more than 12 |
| Is pasteurization one of the greatest | | | | million servings of Organic Pastures |
| discoveries, or greatest setbacks, of | | | | products were consumed and not one |
| our time? The Case for | | | | person complained of illness and not one |
| Pasteurization "[Drinking raw milk is] | | | | pathogen was ever found either by the state, |
| like playing Russian roulette with your | | | | FDA or Organic Pastures." Organic |
| health," says John Sheehan, director of the | | | | Pastures then hired a laboratory to perform |
| Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) | | | | an experiment. The lab added 10 million |
| Division of Dairy and Egg Safety. "We | | | | counts of pathogens to one-milliliter |
| see a number of cases of food-borne illness | | | | samples of organic raw milk and found |
| every year related to the consumption of | | | | that the pathogens not only would not |
| raw milk." According to the FDA, raw | | | | grow but they also died off. The lab |
| milk may contain any number of | | | | concluded: " ... Organic raw milk and |
| disease-causing organisms, including | | | | colostrum do not appear to support the |
| campylobacter, escherichia, listeria, | | | | growth of pathogens ..." As it stands, |
| salmonella, yersinia and brucella. Aside from | | | | the sale of raw milk across state lines is |
| causing acute diarrhea, stomach cramps, | | | | illegal. However, sales of raw milk, |
| vomiting and fever, these organisms may | | | | either in retail stores or directly from |
| also cause more serious conditions, | | | | the farm, are legal within 28 U.S. states. |
| particularly among the elderly, pregnant | | | | In other states, raw milk may be |
| women, children or those with weakened | | | | available through cow "leasing" programs |
| immune systems. The FDA says | | | | in which members purchase shares of a cow and |
| pasteurization helps prevent: | | | | can then use the milk how they |
| Tuberculosis Diphtheria Polio | | | | choose. l"> |
| Salmonellosis Strep throat Scarlet | | | | Please Let Us Know What YOU |
| fever Typhoid fever Milk can | | | | Think! Select answers will be published |
| be contaminated from a sick or dirty animal, | | | | in the forthcoming issue of the |
| as well as by dirty living environments. | | | | e-newsletter!* *NOTE: Your answer, |
| "Think about how many times a cow lays | | | | or an excerpt thereof, may be published in |
| down in a field or the barn," says Tom | | | | a forthcoming issue of the e-newsletter |
| Szalkucki, assistant director of the | | | | and on the website. By submitting your |
| Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research at | | | | answer you authorize this. Please |
| the University of Wisconsin-Madison. | | | | include your name and your city state (or |
| "Even if the barn is cleaned thoroughly | | | | country) location to be included in the |
| and regularly, it's not steamed. | | | | publication of select answers!This |
| Contamination can take place because it's | | | | article was provided by the world's #1 most |
| not a sterile environment." | | | | popular and trusted holistic living |
| Pasteurization, says the FDA, kills any | | | | e-newsletter -- FREE to you right now at The |
| dangerous bacteria while also destroying | | | | old way of thinking: "holistic living" |
| bacteria that can cause milk to spoil, | | | | pertains only to personal health. The new way |
| thereby extending shelf life. | | | | of thinking: "holistic living" means |
| One of the | | | | prevention of the negative and adherence to |
| biggest controversies over pasteurized milk | | | | the positive in all SIX practical areas of |
| is whether or not the milk is able to | | | | life: relationships, finances, career, home |
| retain its nutritional value after the | | | | environment, safety and health. With the |
| high temperatures it is exposed to. | | | | e-newsletter, you will get holistic wisdom |
| Proponents of pasteurization say the | | | | from the world's top experts in all six of |
| process has little effect on the milk's | | | | these areas -- completely FREE with a simple |
| nutritional value or flavor. "Milk is a | | | | sign-up (and a guaranteed no-spam policy! |