Why is Raw Milk Illegal?
I have been on what you might call a health kick for about a year now. It started with giving up all sugar and high fructose corn syrup, that led to forgoing almost all packaged and processed foods because almost all packaged and processed foods have refined sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup in them, not to mention artificial additives, preservatives, chemicals and other incendiary ingredients. I began to eat a simple diet of meals almost entirely made of scratch. In the process I lost 40 pounds and haven't been sick for even one day. Along my journey I started to look into the whole raw milk controversy. I never gave it much thought before I started on a path of healthy eating but as I strove for healthier and more natural foods it became something I had to look into. After all, what do most of us know about the food that is presented to us for sale in the supermarkets? How many of us have ever been to a farm? I know I haven't.
Lucky for me I live in New York state where you can still get raw milk from a farm, in many states it's completely illegal to even give raw milk away! I have to tell you once you taste it you will never want to return to the tinny taste of store bought, pasteurized, super homogenized swill milk sold in the grocery stores!
My suspicions were aroused with all the news of government agents swat-teaming raw milk stores in various areas across the country. I mean, does it really make sense to you that we have cigarettes that we KNOW cause cancer sold in stores, we have liquor sold in America, we have every kind of chemical known to man sprayed on our fruits and vegetables and don't even get me started when it comes to genetically manufactured organisms or GMO franken foods that aren't even labeled but are peddled to us by the kind and loving Monsanto BUT raw milk, fresh milk straight from a grass-fed cow with no cancer causing hormone shots, that has been drunk for thousands of years... THAT MUST BE STOPPED, THAT IS ILLEGAL! We are living in an Alice-in-Wonderland crazy messed up world when fresh milk from a cow triggers a federal raid. Call me crazy but something is amiss here. In my mind if the federal government wants to halt all consumption of raw milk, then I want MORE! THERE MUST BE SOMETHING REALLY GOOD IN THAT MILK!
What does homogenized and pasteurized mean anyway? I wont bore you with a PhD explanation but simply put homogenized milk is milk that has been put through a machine so that the fat globules in milk and cream would be broken down and distributed equally throughout the milk. Pasteurized simply means boiled.
It used to be that when the milkman delivered your milk you could see a thick topping of cream at the top of the milk. In that way people knew that the milk was good. The cream was a sign that the milk was of high quality.
Have you ever tried Raw Milk?
The reason dairies pasteurize and homogenize milk today has NOTHING to do with making it safe and everything to do with profits, go figure! Pasteurized and homogenized milk can be transported long distances and will stay on the shelf longer. Moreover, there is no way to tell if the milk is good or not. In addition, homogenized milk is essential when you are selling crappy milk. It's just like when you have water problems..what do they tell you to do? They tell you in order to make sure the water is safe to drink to boil it, it's the same thing with low-grade swill milk from grain fed, sick, factory-confined cows. The milk must be boiled so as to kill all the bacteria resulting from the unhealthy conditions the cows are in! Cows that are fed grass (which is what they are supposed to eat) and left to wander on a green pastures produce healthy delicious milk full of wonderful nutrients. Instead we have cows that are confined in deplorable, disgusting conditions, that are fed grain and then given hormone shots in order to keep from getting sick from the grain.
Moreover, time and time again children and adults who have suffered from allergies, eczema, osteoporosis and other ailments when put on fresh milk had their ailments diminish or completely disappear. Not only that but in the early part of the last century several books were written lauding the health benefits of raw milk, books like “Milk Diet as a Remedy for Chronic Disease” written in 1905 by Charles Porter. He wrote that boiled, pasteurized, sterilized or milk preserved in any way cannot be used for treatment. Pasteurizing milk renders it unsuitable for human use. Dogs fed on pasteurized milk only are liable to have the mange and other disorders while others of the same litter thrive on raw, sweet and sour milk. Or Professor James Tyson writing in June 1884 Journal of the American Medical Association that uric acid in the urine disappeared and that consistent use of milk cured kidney stones. No other food than milk should be permitted in the treatment of gastric ulcers, he said, and no other treatment for obesity is so effective as the milk diet. There are dozens of books like these, all were written about 100 years ago. These doctors are mentioned in a book called “The Untold Story of Milk” a book I would highly recommend and is offered above. Things that make you go hmmm.
Now, I am no scientist but it makes me wonder why the rate of certain cancers like breast cancers and cancers known to prey on children have sky-rocketed in recent years when at the same time we as a nation have stopped drinking fresh milk. It has been about 50 years and in that time certain cancers have risen off the charts, obesity has skyrocketed! Could it be the milk? Could it be that we are being systematically killed through the milk? I have my suspicions. I also wonder why the government is so hell-bent on suppressing fresh milk through law enforcement and lobbying efforts. Sure greed is a motive but it seems to me that other industries, which are just as greedy, are not going to such herculean efforts to suppress items like raw milk. It makes me wonder, does it make you wonder why? I know one thing, the more the government suppresses raw milk the more I'll drink it!
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Comments
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I didn't know that Marja, thanks for the information.
In Finland it is not illegal yet, but I am quite sure one day it is, since we are a part of EU and EU is known for ridiculous rules... Raw milk is fine, but most people do not have common sense! They leave the milk on the table like they do with processed milk, that is dangerous, not the milk itself.
So people need to get educated properly.
Homogenization over here in Finland is even worse than anywhere else. Nowhere else people get sick from milk like here. Meaning homogenization has been linked to all kinds of symptoms from stomach issues to heart diseases.
Great posting!
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I don't like goat's milk myself but I LOVE raw milk. Once you go raw you'll never go back! :) Thanks for writing.
I would like to try Raw Milk. Goat's Milk from the store was sort of like cold melted cheese. Even if Factory Dairy Cows could be pastured for a short while every few days - this would be a great change for the animal and the product as well. Everyone should have a choice as to what they want to buy - yes - some dicersity. Great Hub, good videos and excellent information. Thanks.
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Thanks Jordan.
This is a very good hub, a topic that needs to be discussed before it's too late.
I am an advocate of fresh, raw milk myself; my family and I are currently raising a cow for milk right outside!
I have to keep from laughing whenever anyone says homogenization is for the good of the customer. Ha!
I'm going to share this hub!
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Whatever the reason, it's not good for us.
I do have to say tho, hormones are not given to the cows to keep them alive and going in sick conditions. They give the hormones so that they can get them all pregnant at the same time. Its to increase fertility.
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Thanks "lemonkerdz", and thanks for the link.
Fantastic article, it hit home with me bacause i am just preparing an article on pasteurization that i am going to link to this article. it´s true, there is nothing wrong with fresh milk if it is handeled properly. the problem now is we just want huge quantities of products every single day, which equals carlessness in getting hold of it. i drank raw milk as a child and i´m still alive to tell the tale. thanks again. voted up and tagged
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Way to go "A Little TRUTH"!!! I'm all for it!
Zoe, what an excellent idea!
Let’s put that warning on raw milk as a condition to making it legal to sell. That way, people who want raw milk can easily get it, and people who adhere to FDA reports can stick with their pasteurized milk.
Sounds like a win-win situation to me!
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Raw milk, like any food, must be handled properly. I've been drinking raw milk for almost a year and not only have I not gotten sick from drinking it, I haven't been sick at all. Moreover, people have drank raw milk for thousands of years with no ill effects.
n states where raw milk is sold in grocery stores, at farmers markets, or even on the farm, I would like to see this warning label in large, bold, conspicuous print:
Warning: Unpasteurized milk, also known as raw milk, is a raw agricultural product and may contain harmful bacteria (not limited to E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Salmonella) and can lead to serious injury and even death. Pregnant women, infants, children, the elderly, and persons with lowered resistance to disease (immune compromised) have higher risk for harm, which may include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, dehydration, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Guillian-Barre Syndrome, Reactive Arthritis, Irritable, Bowel Syndrome, miscarriage, or death.
Note: Raw Milk must be kept refrigerated at 40 degrees at all times.
I tried raw milk from a farm share in Vancouver BC and it made me and my family very sick, it also can cause serious illness in a child, I think it is unsafe after my personal experiences.
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I've been drinking it for about a year now and God help the person who tries to take it away! Thanks for commenting.
It's often hard to fathom how are government structures laws they say are to protect us. I don't drink raw milk personally-not much of a milk drinking, but I enjoy cooking and love to make cheese with raw milk. There is a major flavor difference.
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I'm sure that You Tube has videos on it as well, good luck.
Would be very fun to learn to make goat cheese! There is a well-known dairy in this area that makes award-winning chevre. Gives me something to aspire to.
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That's great..uno you can make your own goat cheese too!
Brie, I finally found a goat dairy. I would have had no objections to raw cow milk, but the goat dairy was a much shorter drive.
I think I am going back to their dairy and buy more milk. The taste? Very good. When the raw goat milk first hits your taste buds, you can sort of taste that quality we're familiar with from goat cheese, but that quickly recedes, and the rest of your sipping, you'd swear you're drinking regular cow milk. I don't think they make goat cheese, because of the labor involved, but I do have some sources for that.
Goat milk has more calcium than cow milk, and is generally higher in trace elements like selenium, as well as electrolytes like potassium.
Woo hoo!
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Good for you Kelly91..I'm totally with you. I've been drinking it for about 8 months now and I will never go back.
The reason for the raw milk controversy is because big pharma and the general allopathic community KNOW that it heals diseases and better yet, prevents them. Raw milk would also put dentists out of business. I have never heard of raw milk causing strep throat and I have been drinking it for almost 15 years with no ill effects. The positive results: No cavities, root canals or other dental disease. Reversal of acid wear on front teeth. No gray hair at the age of 47, soft smooth skin, an average appearance of 10 years younger than my age, amazing stamina. I will never be sold that raw milk causes disease, In fact new reports are coming out about raw milk curing cases of Hepatitis C where tests of previously infected came back PCR negative. My sister completely eradicated stretch marks that she had for 8 years since the birth of her daughter within 3 months of drinking raw milk. The only difference in her diet. So no, no matter how many "reports" I hear about raw milk dangers, I have chosen to go by my own judgement.
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Any kind of food can make you sick if it's not clean. People have been drinking raw milk and NOT getting sick for thousands of years. I've been drinking it for 6 months and I have never been sick.
Raw milk contains bacteria; it's pasteurized to get rid of bacteria. When I was a child (in NY) I was often given fresh raw milk (uncle had dairy farm), & it almost always resulted in strep throats. Whether cows are basically healthy and have 'had their shots' isn't relevant. When I moved to CA I was surprised to see raw milk being sold in grocery stores. Not for anything in the world would I touch that stuff again.
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Oh yes, I am very familiar with cow sharing..it's a great way around the ridiculous laws against raw milk. And, I totally agree with you about Agenda 21..I've been meaning to write an article about that as well..someday.
Of course there’s more to it than the money, it’s called “Agenda 21”.
On the theme of suppression of healthy foods, I thought this FDA warning letter was interesting. They warn that walnuts can be classified as illegal drugs if you tout the benefits of the omega-3 content:
http://www.fda.gov/iceci/enforcementactions/warnin...
(And yet, Cheerio’s and Frito Lay can say right on the package that they are “Heart Healthy”.)
You can find similar warning letters on the FDA site for other extra healthy foods like tart cherries, apricot seeds, and of course raw milk. I believe the letter is the precursor to the SWAT Team raid if the recipient doesn’t comply with the presumed “law of the letter”.
By the way, have you heard of “cow sharing”? It’s a way to sell raw milk legally while it is still in the cow - but the FDA is now onto it.
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I agree with that "nextstopjupiter" however, I wonder if there is more to it than that even.
Raw milk is illegal because the food mafia and the pharma mafia make the laws. These criminals would lose a lot of money if raw milk would be legal everywhere.
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I've been drinking raw milk and butter and cheese for 5 months now and I can't imagine ever going back.
I once lived down the road from a farm and bought milk and butter from them. The butter was almost like cheese, so flavorful. When we moved away and bought molk from a store, we noted it looked thin and blue. It took a while to get used to the almost tasteless stuff.
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KimmiS you really should read the book "The Untold Story of Milk" especially the last 2 chapters. Raw or Fresh milk is like a perfect food. People who drink it seldom get cancer, heart disease and have more dense bones, no allergies and a host of other really good things.
Larry: many people who can't drink pasteurized milk can drink fresh/raw milk.
Have I tried raw milk? Yes.
Long before my D2 problem, I had a Summer job on a fire crew with the Forest Service. One of the people on the entomology crew kept a goat. I had the opportunity to try raw goats milk, straight from the goat. That is D2-free; so it probably would have been okay for my sleep years later.
These days, I'm somewhat allergic to dairy protein of all kinds. However politically incorrect real butter is okay. Go figure.
I really enjoyed reading this hub, thanks for sharing! I'm all with you on raw milk. Why not drink it straight from the source like we always have until industry stepped in the way!? I personally don't drink any animal milk, but if I did I would have to make sure it was raw and farm fresh, and it would probably have to be goats milk as well.
Another thing I dislike about supermarket milk is the labeling misconception. They label it as 1% or 2% fat and that's a big lie! 2% milk actually has 35% of it's calories coming from fat. The 2% comes from the fact that the milk is dilute, meaning you are paying mostly for water. Very expensive water. When I started a vegan diet, I lost 10 pounds in two weeks, I wasn't heavy, but now I'm down to my ideal weight. Now I eat cheese occasionally but I've kept the weight off for good.
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So have you tried raw milk Larry? Thanks for commenting and rating.
I have a personal issue with supermarket milk. Many years ago, I had a humongous sleep debt. Then one fine day, I had an intuition that milk was the root of the problem; so I stopped drinking the stuff. Then over the next several months, I was extremely sleepy, and eventually caught up on most of the lost sleep. By the way, cheese was ok.
I now realize that the big problem FOR ME was the Vitamin D2 that's added to the milk. (Mushrooms also contain D2.)
But if I eat Vitamin D-rich fatty fish for example, I'm getting D3, rather than D2. And the right amount of D3 is ok for me.
Caveat: I have Dysfunctional Sensory Integration. Certain sensory inputs that are ho-hum for most people can knock me for a loop.
Rated interesting.
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Thanks "A Little TRUTH"..I hope that others will get on the band wagon.
Yes, any natural product capable of attracting SWAT Team raids has got to be something that will keep you healthy in a big way. I’m not much of a milk drinker, but now I want to try some raw, or maybe some raw yogurt.
Congratulations on your avoidance of processed foods and the benefits it brought. My general rule is to stay far away from anything that is FDA APPROVED – food or otherwise.
Excellent article!
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Pet food..funny! We should all be so lucky! Thanks for commenting.
This is something I have never understood either. I don't understand why it is the government's business to stop the sale of raw milk, they allow so many other things that aren't healthy- but raw milk is illegal to protect us??
We have goats, so we have all the raw milk we want. And can sell "pet food" to people that want it
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Thanks "moonlake". I definitely think something nefarious is going on. Please repost the article and let's get the word out!
I don't understand the raw milk thing either. We use to drink raw milk all the time. I think there is just no reason for it. I saw the farmer on TV they put in jail for selling it. You would have thought he was selling drugs. I never heard that there were deaths from drinking raw milk. Voted on your hub.
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Oh yes yes yes..absolutely Gracenotes..I am planning on it! Thanks for writing.
There's a little store down the street that sells milk with the clabber on top. Amazing.
Our state is OK with the sale of raw milk. Of course, you've got to travel to the farm to get it.
I do envy Eric with his goats. There is a well-known goat dairy in the next county that sells their raw goat milk, but it's usually available only in summer. I've decided I need some of their goat milk! The goat milk one can buy in the grocery is flat terrible!
Thanks for writing this hub. Can you foresee moving out to the country someday, and having your own milk cow, Brie?
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Thanks Brittanie2216..feel free to repost it on your facebook :)
Thanks for the awesome hub. I really like this one its full of facts and is still interesting to read I want to try raw milk now.
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Thanks for commenting Eric..I did mention that we no longer get the cream but yes it is also a rip off as well.
Good post. We have a lot of dairies where we live and they will sell you raw milk, but hush, hush. We actually have 3 goats now and drink goat milk. Goat milk is much more compatible with the human body than cow milk. Which is why people with lactose intolerance end up drinking goat milk a lot of times. Our goat milk is delicious.
One thing you did not mention is that when you buy a jug of milk in the store for 4$, you are getting the milk MINUS the cream which is great for you and useful for making butter, cheese, yogurt, etc. The processors are doubling their profits by selling the milk after skimming the good stuff off, then making all of the byproducts and selling them.
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