Re: Dr Mercola's Raw Milk Article Dec 15, 2010

[Guest guest]

If raw milk is so " dangerous " , why is it sold in Germany as Vorzugsmilch,

or excellence milk? KL

On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 9:34 PM, cowartbeth <cowartbeth@...> wrote:

> Here's the latest article by Dr. Mercola on the raw milk battle -- and

> food rights.

> This Natural Food Should Not be Consumed by Anyone at Any time for Any

> Reason Posted By Dr. Mercola

> <http://articles.mercola.com/members/Dr.-Mercola/default.aspx>

> | December 15 2010 | 203,825 views

> <http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.mercola.com%\

> 2Fsites%2Farticles%2Farchive%2F2010%2F12%2F15%2Fthe-war-over-raw-milk.as\

> px & t=Time%20Magazine%20Runs%20Article%20on%20Raw%20Milk%20Wars & src=sp>

>

>

>

> Milk may be a symbol of wholesomeness for most of us, but according to

> Time Magazine, it's also a battleground between government regulators

> and natural health food proponents who want to drink whole, raw milk.

>

> The war is a test of their freedom to choose to drink a rich-tasting

> beverage full of beneficial bacteria, enzymes, vitamins and amino acids,

> that are mostly destroyed through pasteurization, the proponents say.

>

> But to the FDA, it's a basic health issue: " Raw milk is an inherently

> dangerous product, and it really should not be consumed by anyone at

> any time for any reason, " a representative from the FDA tells TIME.

>

> Unfortunately, if the FDA sergeants get their way, they'll win the war

> with help from Congress and the proposed Food Safety Modernization Act.

>

> Meanwhile, a federal court has struck down Ohio's law banning labels on

> dairy products that say they're made with milk that's free of hormones.

>

> As reported on NPR.org, that means companies that want to say their

> products are " rbGH free " and " rbST free " and " artificial hormone free "

> are now free to do so.

>

> " But the bigger deal might be that the ruling challenges the FDA's

> 17-year-old finding that there's " no significant difference " between

> the milk of cows given growth hormone and those that aren't, " NPR said.

>

> " Just that sort of distinction, or lack of it actually, is part of the

> ongoing debate about how to label genetically engineered salmon. "

>

> The Court of Appeals also listed the reasons why there is a difference

> between milk from cows given growth hormones and those that don't get

> hormones †" and one was that there is more pus in the

> hormone-treated cows' milk than in hormone-free.

>

> Other states have already given permission for special labels on milk,

> but NPR.org speculated that if the FDA approves genetically modified

> salmon (GM), consumer groups may use the court's ruling to label

> non-genetically engineered salmon.

> Sources: [0]

> Time Magazine September 20, 2010

> <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2017205,00.html?xid=rs\

> s-topstories & utm_source=feedburner & utm_medium=feed & utm_campaign=Feed%3A+\

> time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29> [0]

> NPR.org October 1, 2010

> <http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/10/01/130270131/court-give-hormone\

> -free-label-on-dairy-products-an-ok-in-ohio?sc=17 & f=1001%3Ehttp://www.np\

> r.org/blogs/health/2010/10/01/130270131/court-give-hormone-free-label-on\

> -dairy-products-an-ok-in-ohio?sc=17>

>

> Dr. Mercola's Comments:

> <http://twitter.com/mercola> <http://www.facebook.com/doctor.health>

>

> Time Magazine

> <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2017205,00.html?xid=rs\

> s-topstories & utm_source=feedburner & utm_medium=feed & utm_campaign=Feed%3A+\

> time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29> couldn't be more correct

> when stating that " for some Americans, milk has become a test of their

> freedom. And they're not paranoid kooks either; the government really

> is out to get them, authorizing seizures of bottles and jugs of

> unpasteurized milk and, in one recent case, a full-on,

> agents-brandishing-guns raid. "

>

> There is indeed a war going on, and it's threatening one of your most

> basic freedoms †" the right to eat a wholly natural, healthful

> food!

>

> The FDA has long banned the sale of raw milk across state lines, and in

> many states it's illegal to sell raw milk entirely. (For more

> information about laws in various US states, please see this link

> <http://www.realmilk.com/happening.html> . For information about raw

> milk in other countries go here

> <http://www.realmilk.com/happening-other.html> .)

>

> Why has a natural food source been banned for sale in so many areas?

>

> Well, they claim raw milk is simply too dangerous to consume and by

> restricting its sale they are serving the public health and reducing

> the risk of illness....

>

> Yet shockingly there's no evidence backing up this claim.

>

> According to CDC data, from 1993 to 2006, only about 116 illnesses a

> year were linked to raw milk. That amounts to less than .000002 percent

> of the 76 million people who contract a food-borne illness in the

> United States each year!

>

> Looking at the evidence

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/20/raw-milk-\

> bans-are-about-protecting-big-dairy.aspx> , or rather lack thereof, it

> is quite clear that raw milk has been unfairly singled out and targeted

> by the FDA, the USDA, and even the FBI, despite the fact that it's so

> low on the food-borne illness risk scale it's hardly measurable.

>

> The recent enforcement efforts against raw milk sales is so

> disproportionate to the risk it poses to consumers that it defies all

> logic.

> Is the Ban on Raw Milk Unconstitutional?

> Raw milk enthusiasts and raw dairy suppliers began fighting back in

> early 2010, filing suit against the FDA

> <http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/press/press-22feb2010.html> , claiming

> that banning interstate sales is unconstitutional.

>

> The rebuttal received from the FDA was shocking to say the least.

>

> It contained the following outrageous statements, which make it very

> clear they believe you have no right to natural, unadulterated food

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/29/fda-says-\

> you-have-no-right-to-real-food-unless-they-give-you-permission-first.asp\

> x> :

>

> " There is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular

> food. "

>

> " There is no 'deeply rooted' historical tradition of unfettered access

> to foods of all kinds. "

>

> " Plaintiffs' assertion of a 'fundamental right to their own bodily and

> physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to

> consume for themselves and their families' is similarly unavailing

> because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food

> they wish. "

>

> The FDA's brief goes on to state that " even if such a right did exist,

> it would not render the FDA's regulations unconstitutional because

> prohibiting the interstate sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk

> promotes bodily and physical health. "

>

> " There is no fundamental right to freedom of contract. "

>

> With these assertions, the FDA essentially claims to have the authority

> to prohibit any food of their choosing, and make it a crime for you to

> seek it out.

>

> This is simply unacceptable.

> Raw Milk Safety Standards †" Actually HIGHER than Those for

> Pasteurized Milk

> It's essential to understand the reasons why most dairy is pasteurized

> in the first place.

>

> The dairy cows used to produce much of the pasteurized dairy sold in

> the United States are raised in such unsanitary conditions that it

> affects the cows' health and hence the quality of their milk.

>

> Factory farming conditions are the reason why the milk has to be

> pasteurized in the first place. If it wasn't, it simply would not be

> safe to drink. This fact is also what prevents the conventional dairy

> industry from competing with smaller organic farms.

>

> In terms of quality and nutritional content of the milk, you simply

> cannot compare the milk produced by factory farms to that of organic

> farm that raise their cattle on grasses and let them out to pasture.

> These cows are healthy, and produce high quality, uncontaminated milk

> that does not require pasteurization to kill off dangerous pathogens.

>

> Still, despite the fact that grass-fed organically-raised cows are at a

> distinct advantage, from the get-go when it comes to the quality of

> their milk, organic dairy farms in most states still must meet or exceed

> pasteurized milk standards, without pasteurizing.

>

> California, specifically, (where raw milk is legal) has its own special

> set of standards for raw milk for human consumption.

>

> So, if it's not really about food safety, what's all the hubbub about?

>

> In a word: money.

>

> The conventional dairy industry, realizing that consumers are flocking

> toward raw milk because of its health benefits, has redoubled their

> efforts to quench raw milk sales.

>

> You might think that if raw dairy became attractive enough the dairy

> industry would simply follow suit and begin producing raw products to

> meet the demand. Alas... this is virtually impossible because of the

> way their overcrowded farms are run.

>

> You simply CANNOT drink factory farmed milk raw. It would be extremely

> unsafe. Their business depends on pasteurization, and that is why their

> powerful lobbyists will stop at nothing to persuade government agencies

> to keep raw milk bans

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/20/raw-milk-\

> bans-are-about-protecting-big-dairy.aspx> in full force.

>

> Big Dairy simply cannot compete, so to maintain their market share,

> they're employing dirty tactics to destroy the competition instead.

> Still, There is Good News!

> In the middle of all this fascist-like drama, a federal court has

> repealed Ohio's law banning the use of 'rBGH-free' labels on dairy

> products, giving raw dairy producers and consumers new hope.

>

> This ruling means that companies that want to clearly state that their

> products are " rBGH free, " " rBST free, " or " artificial hormone free " are

> now allowed to do so.

>

> This is an important victory that may shape the future of other

> genetically modified (GM) foods, such as GM salmon †" the approval

> of which is currently being debated by the FDA.

>

> If the salmon is approved, the next question is whether or not it must

> be labeled as genetically modified

> <http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/article_5a19abb7-542c-56db-922a-6\

> b67a1c7ecb4.html> .

>

> For the past 17 years, the FDA's has held on to their initial finding

> that there's " no significant difference "

> <http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidanc\

> eDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/ucm059036.htm> between the milk of

> cows given genetically modified artificial growth hormone

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/13/monsanto-\

> rbgh-can-cause-cancer.aspx> and those that aren't.

>

> By overturning the ban on " rBGH free " labels in Ohio, it reopens the

> debate, which is exactly what needs to happen. In worst case, if the FDA

> decides not to label GM salmon as such, consumer groups can use this

> court ruling to label natural, NON-GM salmon instead.

> Get Informed and Protect Your Food Freedom

> I urge you to a take a stand to protect your freedom of food choice by

> joining the Raw Milk Campaign <http://www.realmilk.com/why.html> to

> make access to healthy raw milk a right for all Americans. You can find

> Local Chapters and Chapter Leaders by sending an email to:

> chapters@... <mailto:chapters@...> .

>

> For more information, I urge you to listen to my interview with Mark

> McAfee

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/01/mark-mcaf\

> ee-interview.aspx> , the founder of Organic Pastures, one of the

> largest producers of raw milk in the United States, along with this

> video with health and business journalist E. Gumpert

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/14/Choosing-\

> Between-Raw-Milk-and-a-Dead-White-Liquid.aspx> .

>

> You can also find lots of valuable information in Gumpert's book, The

> Raw Milk Revolution

> <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1603582193/optimalwellnessc> ,

> and on McAfee's website <http://www.organicpastures.com/> .

>

> Finally, if you're interested in purchasing raw milk, RealMilk.com

> <http://realmilk.com/why.html> can help you find a high-quality

> source

> <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/01/mark-mcaf\

> ee-interview.aspx> in your area.

>

>

>

> Related

[Guest guest]

Indeed! And why did the Mayo Clinic used to offer what they called " The Milk

Cure " , using raw milk to treat a multitude of conditions? And why are raw milk

vending machines sprouting up all over Europe?

>

> If raw milk is so " dangerous " , why is it sold in Germany as Vorzugsmilch,

> or excellence milk? KL