Comments on: The Crime Against Raw Milk

By: swami bv tripurari

swami bv tripurari — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:47:11 +0000

Here are a few quick thoughts in response. Raw milk is legal in California and some other states as well. So it is not dangerous enough to be made illegal. I think you could write similar articles about much of the food (if you can call it food) that the authors of these articles are eating daily. The risk of eating at McDonalds has also been documented.

But you are correct to say that as the dairy size increases the more there is potential for things to get out of control. However, this holds true for pasteurized milk as well. Indeed, what about the problems associated with drinking pasteurized milk from cows stuffed with grains and pumped full of drugs? Now if that milk were not pasteurized you would have real problems.

I read one of the articles criticizing Whole Foods for selling raw milk. The gist of it was that they sell it because it generates more profit. However, the author did not document that. His “evidence” was simply that raw milk sells for more than pasteurized milk. My sense is that they mark up the price in proportion to what they have to pay for it like every other product. And everyone knows that to produce good food costs more than it does to produce junk food. So at least from this article it was lear to me that the author lacked objectivity.

Furthermore, much of the concern about raw milk is coming from the US Department of Agriculture, which is not set up to insure that we have healthy food but rather to promote the products of commodity agriculture. That is its rationale. And Bill Marler writes a scare tactic blog that is out of balance. For example, it points to isolated instances of illness attributed to raw milk without telling us how many people have been drinking it for decades with not only no incidence of illness, but moreover with reports of extra good health, longevity, etc.

Having said that, here is a more informed blog that might serve better as a response to your points. Read the comments as well.

http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2009/8/10/what-is-it-about-raw-milk-that-gets-opponents-so-obsessed-wh.html

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:06:32 +0000

How would you respond to the list of articles at the bottom of this webpage that have appeared in respected peer-reviewed journals? http://www.marlerblog.com/2008/06/articles/lawyer-oped/raw-milk-cons-review-of-the-peerreviewed-literature/
Drinking raw milk from a small, clean, well-run dairy is one thing; drinking raw milk from even a medium sized dairy is another. Anyone who have visited a commercial dairy of any size knows that they are dirty places. The cows come from somewhere, and often “somewhere” is from a larger commercial dairy or breeding facility. It is all too easy for diseases to be introduced into smaller herds despite the best intentions, and dairy med are not always well trained as to sanitation practices and disease recognition. I would want to meet the cows whose raw milk I wanted to drink to ensure that they appear healthy.
I don’t think we can just say raw milk is good or bad. I think we need to consider the source. I think it is naive to ignore all the research that has been done, and to accept without question everything that an organic or raw dairy producer says or writes. They are also trying to make money. Progress and science are not inherently bad.

By: Narayan Higgins

Narayan Higgins — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:15:38 +0000

Citta Hari thanks for talking about hemp!
Spread the truth!

Oh and great article

By: madan gopal das

madan gopal das — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:10:48 +0000

good clarification Citta Hari…
As for the raw milk drunkards, I just have to see a “half the way home” cartoon of that! Bhaktas passed out to the side of a milking cow… Ha!

By: Citta Hari dasa

Citta Hari dasa — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:58:14 +0000

Intoxication? You have stated a common misconception about hemp. Although botanically the same plant practically speaking hemp grown for fiber, seed, etc., and cannabis grown to maximize THC content for recreational or medical use are worlds apart. The THC content in hemp is nowhere near enough for it to be an intoxicant; one could smoke hemp all day and never get stoned.

When was milk from a cow an intoxicant? Have you tried raw milk? The stuff will get you high on life.

By: Pancha Tattva dasa

Pancha Tattva dasa — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:02:16 +0000

The campaign against raw milk I can get worked up over. Hemp? Well, there’s just no comparison. I know, I know, hemp has many great uses, might save us from the energy crisis, etc., etc. But when was milk from a cow ever an intoxicant? When did drinking milk ever cause people become dope-addled space cadets? No, there’s no comparison.

By: Citta Hari dasa

Citta Hari dasa — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:08:28 +0000

Unfortunately smear campaigns like this are not isolated to milk; a similar propaganda war was waged against hemp by the oil industry in the 30s until it was outlawed so that it would not compete with petroleum-based plastics, etc.

It’s mind boggling how vested interests, i.e., greed and personal interest so often succeed in changing the course of entire societies and what is true becomes viewed as heresy.

By: Karnamrita das

Karnamrita das — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:42:01 +0000

Very insightful and informative article from one who saw the transition from raw milk to processed milk. We have raw milk where I live from protected cows and it is another world from what is commonly thought of as milk. In days of yore in India great sages lived exclusively on raw milk, so that must be what is referred to as liquid religion, and not the modern creation processed for the convenience of the distributor. The sages would enlighten the householders and get the warm milk right from the cow! I posted this on FaceBook and received many appreciative comments. As with many truths it is hard to share them broadly when people are educated by vested interests.