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