The Revolution Will Not Be Pasteurized

[softail-joanie]

Raw milk freedom riders- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT4CRNFaNHk

Why not to pasturize- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzx2dY6mW5A

In 1987 the FDA banned interstate shipping of raw milk and today it's retail sale is only legal in dozen or so states. There's a very devoted group who believe that pasteurized milk is "dead milk" and are fighting to make it easier to buy. Raw milk has such a following that people form secret clubs or buy portions of a cow in order to circumvent state laws regulating its sale.

In March of 2010, Idaho made things just a bit easier for producers of raw milk. A small-herd exemption was passed that allowed farmers with 7 or fewer goats or sheep and 3 or fewer cows to produce raw milk or raw milk products for human consumption.

[***super_nova***]

Interesting that you chose to post this today; as I woke up this morning to the news that 3 y.o. child died after drinking non pasteurised milk, and another 3 were ill here in Victoria.

When my daughter was little  I got 2 milking goats, which had run of the 6 acres property, and nice clean place to sleep.  When milk needs to be mass produced to satisfy the demand of city people , it is a different situation, and impossible to guarantee safety without pasteurisation.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

Those little pellets floating around in your raw milk aren't Milk Duds...........

[softail-joanie]

Raw milk rights- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXVezut6eNs

Now, this raid on Rawsome may feel like deja vu, because it happened last year! That's when this security video spread across the web and broadcast TV like wildfire!  ..... There was something about seeing investigators creeping around crates of lima beans and raising their guns at boxes of brussels sprouts that was surreal enough to land on the Colbert Report! ..... This time around, the cops confiscated the security cameras, so we put together a dramatic reenactment.

A multi-agency effort cleared Rawesome's shelves, dumped thousands of dollars of raw milk down the drain, and hauled $70,000 of raw, organic produce and dairy away for destruction. ..... Police arrested Rawsome proprietor James Stewart, farmer Sharon Palmer, and farm employee and Weston A Price chapter leader Victoria Bloch on charges related to illegally selling raw dairy products. .... The thing is, it's LEGAL to sell raw dairy in California. ..... But, Rawesome, which has operated in Venice for more than six years, does not have a business license, neither does the farmer, hence the arrests. ..... The defendants maintain that Rawesome is a private club, that the members co-own the farms, and that they're all allowed to eat what's grown there.

Despite that argument, Stewart was held on $123,000 bail! That's higher than the average amount of bail for crimes like - Kidnapping - Carjacking, and - Arson ..... Of course, there's been a public outcry. The internet blew up, and hundreds of protesters gathered at the LA County courthouse.  .... The judge did reduce bail to $30K and all three individuals were released - under a gag order that prevents them from speaking about the case.

This brings us to our question of the week. What do you think about the Rawesome food raid? Did the government go too far?

Food police- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCkonBIG_jA

The following announcement has been issued by the Raw Milk Freedom Riders. A call to action for Monday, May 14th is also included below. The Minnesota government is taking its cue from California and declaring war on fresh milk, threatening to throw moms in jail for providing fresh food to infants and families. Here's the announcement:

Minneapolis, MN — Several Minnesota mothers who organize community access to local fresh farm foods plan to risk criminal charges by openly and publicly defying warnings from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The MDA has threatened several mothers, conducted investigations against them and sent them warning letters that if they continue helping provide fresh food to their friends and neighbors, they will be subject to criminal charges and prosecution. The MDA alleges the Mothers are violating food-handling regulations.

.

[lyne-flyn]

We were dairy farmers for 24 years and never drank anything other than raw milk...none of us ever got gastro etc from the milk.

Our milk was picked up every second day and was tested every time...also any really dirty udders were washed before the cows were milked.

The owner of the dairy in question has said that her milk was tested...which it has to be by law...perhaps the milk was fine when it left her dairy...a lot of things could have caused the contamination afterwards...who knows if the person who bought the milk left it out of the fridge for a period of time...or even in a hot car....if they were irresponsible enough to feed milk that is clearly marked " not for human consumption"...who  knows.

[raptor_rebooted]

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@lyne-flyn wrote:

We were dairy farmers for 24 years and never drank anything other than raw milk...none of us ever got gastro etc from the milk.

Our milk was picked up every second day and was tested every time...also any really dirty udders were washed before the cows were milked.

The owner of the dairy in question has said that her milk was tested...which it has to be by law...perhaps the milk was fine when it left her dairy...a lot of things could have caused the contamination afterwards...who knows if the person who bought the milk left it out of the fridge for a period of time...or even in a hot car....if they were irresponsible enough to feed milk that is clearly marked " not for human consumption"...who  knows.

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Unpasteurised milk, or raw cow's milk, is illegal to sell for human consumption in Australia, but the product consumed by the child was classed as cosmetic so was allowed on the shelves.

The child recently died on the Mornington Peninsula after drinking what was marketed as a cosmetic product and labelled "bath milk", the Victorian Health Department said.

The product was packaged and labelled in a similar way to normal milk.

Four other children recently became ill after drinking the same brand of raw milk.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer was worried unpasteurised milk was intentionally being given to children despite being labelled not for human consumption.

"There are two issues that concern me - one is the movement out there that people think that something raw is wholesome and better for you, which is clearly not the case," Dr Rosemary Lester said.

"Secondly was the potential for confusion with milk that really is for human consumption, given these products are being sold alongside milk for human consumption."

It was not clear whether the child in this particular case was intentionally given the raw milk.

Unpasteurised milk can cause potentially fatal gastrointestinal illness which affects the kidneys and bloodstream and could cause a parasitic infection that presents as gastroenteritis.

"Unpasteurised milk is labelled and sold for cosmetic use only, but the packaging is often very similar to other milk products," Dr Lester said.

"Since the 1940s it has been compulsory to pasteurise cow's milk in Australia.

"Milk is heated for a very short period of time effectively destroying any disease-causing bacteria which may be present in raw milk.

"Everyone is vulnerable to illness caused by the pathogens present in raw milk, but the risks are even greater for young children and for the elderly, those with underlying health problems, immuno-compromised or pregnant.

"No matter what precautions are taken by dairy farmers during milking, there can be no guarantee that the milk will be free from harmful bacteria, making pasteurisation essential."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-11/child-dies-after-drinking-unpasteurised-milk-in-victoria/59592...

[***super_nova***]

But that's it, isn't it, once it has to be transported and bottled and distributed, it is a different story. If milk is not pasteurised it has to be handled with much more care.  When I had my goats, it was used fresh from the morning or evening milking, what did not get used was made into a cheese, yogurt or given to the dogs.  I am sure there were all sorts of bactreria, but they did not get the chance to multiply to dangerous levels.  No doubt my daughter developed a very good immune system thanks to it.  🙂

Later on when i lived in the Dandenongs our local supermarket got their milk delivered at day break and left by the door on east side of the building, even in summer, and I would see it sitting there in full sun as I was driving to work at about 6am.  In those times supermarket did not open until about 9am (I think).  Not sure when the milk was moved, but one thing I knew was that if I bought milk from there it never lasted more than couple of days. 

[lloydslights]

julia wrote in part:

The child recently died on the Mornington Peninsula after drinking what was marketed as a cosmetic product and labelled "bath milk", the Victorian Health Department said.

The product was packaged and labelled in a similar way to normal milk.

Four other children recently became ill after drinking the same brand of raw milk.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer was worried unpasteurised milk was intentionally being given to children despite being labelled not for human consumption.

"There are two issues that concern me - one is the movement out there that people think that something raw is wholesome and better for you, which is clearly not the case," Dr Rosemary Lester said.

"Secondly was the potential for confusion with milk that really is for human consumption, given these products are being sold alongside milk for human consumption."

It was not clear whether the child in this particular case was intentionally given the raw milk.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-11/child-dies-after-drinking-unpasteurised-milk-in-victoria/59592...

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I cannot fathom the absolute naivety of:

The product maker, for not having a yukky taste added,

The marketeer for designing packaging that equates with a consumable product,

The retail seller for allotting it alongside consumables, (eg fresh dog bones are not refrigerated alongside the t-bones for humans)

The buyers who must be paying a tremendous price simply because it is "cosmetic".  

All of them.

DEB

[bright.ton42]

The only one who I can think of who used milk for a bath was Cleopatra.  I don't know if she drank it as well.  

[softail-joanie]

I don't know one way or the other, heard it from both sides. The argument is that some, or much of the bactera that is killed durring the pasturazation process is benifical, helps in the digesting of foods and in getting more nutrients into the system.

I do not understand why Rawesome foods was targeted so much, they were a small co op, and their foods were never mass marketed and sold, only ones that consumed it was those who bought into the co op and their familys. They were a fast growing co op and Monsanto was getting a bit worried i think. Monsanto has people in the regulatory departments and government, if they wanted to sell raw milk, it would be on the shelves of grocery by morning. . But Monsanto is mostly focused on toxic GMOs, MSGs, and aspertane. Given the choice, I'd take my chance with raw milk. The only thing worse than aspertiane is tobacco smoking,wit unlike raw milk, the food police seem to have no problem with.

I've never tried raw milk, would like to.

anyone ever seen the film "Farmigeddon"? I watched it but now can't find the video on youtube. A film about government cracking down on small farms and farmers, now blocked on youtube.