New Milk Standards in California
I have to admit that when it comes to milk I’m prejudiced. My grandfather was a dairy farmer in New Jersey and while I was growing up milk, butter and ice cream were among the staples of our daily diet.
When per capita milk consumption started its decline in the early 1970’s (mostly because boomers switched to that brown bubbly stuff instead), the dairy industry was caught unprepared. Then the dairy farmers and their marketers woke up and offered up lots that were new: packaging, products, flavors, hip advertising and even more "healthier" offerings. Milk met the trends head on with added nutrients and, of course, going organic.
These days there seems to be some rumblings in the dairy case; and before we know it, we may just be hearing lots of thunder and lightning that may send us running back to the milk case to read those labels.
Food safety issues keep me up at night, which is why I stand by the new dairy standards that were enacted in the State of California on January 1, 2008. These new regulations set a limit on the amount of coliforms that may be contained in milk (no more than 10 coliforms per milliliter), which in most cases means the milk will have to be pasteurized to meet the regulation. Coliforms are very common bacteria, most of which are not harmful, and producers of raw milk products contend that it is these coliforms in their milk which actually make it healthier by promoting a stronger immune system.
It is commonplace for raw milk producers to already be testing their products for E. coli, salmonella and other harmful pathogens, which is why the rumblings are starting. California health officials contend that raw milk producers should be able to meet the standards, which are critical to insure food safety. The producers disagree and contend that consumers should be able to have the freedom of choice.
I’m all for freedom of choice down the aisles – after all, the average supermarket today offers us almost 50,000 different products from which to choose; but if 2007 has taught us anything about the foods we eat, it would have to be our need for stricter food safety standards.
What’s your opinion? Should the raw milk producers be allowed to market their products as is?
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I feel raw milk should tested and inspected to make sure it is safe & free of disease causing substances.
I drank raw milk as a child on a dairy farm. One should not have to play Russian roulette with illness when enjoying a glass of raw milk. In this day & age of technology, one would think the USA should be able to offer consumers tested safe to drink raw milk.
Do we have thousands of people being poisoned yearly from raw milk?
No?
Then why are we pretending that the sky is falling?
Phil, try not to get your shorts in a knot over the disaster that never happened. Have some warm milk and go to sleep.
i think people should be able to chuse for themselvs oure goverment should keep there nose out ouer personal likes and dislikes as fair as food is consernd thank you ET from may field KY