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