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Milk 101

December 2, 2008 |

When I posted about limited choices to buy organic and local, I got reader feedback about getting locally produced milk delivered to your doorstep. I googled “milk+delivery+Boise” and found Boise Milk - a company that home delivers milk, bread, eggs and a few other products including produce and coffee beans.

Last Wednesday I got my first consignment.

- 2 half gallons 1% hormone-free milk from Reed’s Dairy, ($5.06)
(the bottles are returned and reused)

- 1 loaf whole wheat, preservative-free bread from Classic Harvest (from a neighbouring town), ($3.28)

- 1 dozen cage-free, vegetarian-fed, hormone-free eggs from Naturally Nested (based in Washington and Oregon states). ($2.96)

Delivery Charge - $1.75

Total - $13.05

The prices are reasonable, the flavour and quality are up to expectations. So far, so good.

When I was a kid in India (Mumbai), each morning the milkman came from door to door with fresh raw milk. Or we could go to the tabela (cattle-shed) and watch the buffaloes and cows being milked before we made our purchase. There were more buffaloes than cows, actually. 70% of the milk consumed in India still comes from water buffaloes. Buffalo milk is fattier than cow’s milk and yields creamier yogurt.

Water Buffalo (Wikimedia Commons)

Today, it sounds idyllic and impossible. The cattle-shed is now a huge apartment complex. But, really, how do we know what the cows were fed or injected with other than the bales of hay strewn about? And where did that hay come from? What chemicals and processes were used to grow it?

Now we buy milk in bottles or cartons and have to read and rely on labels and what the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration tell us. I don’t trust these agencies as far as I can throw them, but I have little choice but to educate myself on what my options are.

I had to make a choice between:
1. Horizon brand organic milk from Winco and Kirkland from Costco - both labelled as organic, “hormone-free” and “antibiotic-free”.

and

2. “Hormone-free” milk supplied by Reed’s Diary that comes from a town 3 hours from where I live.

There are dairy farms located closer to my city, but this is the only home delivery option.

Why buy milk at all?

A bit of background here. A zillion years ago, I got very ill with jaundice. It took me three months to recover, and then I had a relapse - for another three months. I was asked to stay off dairy the entire time. I didn’t mind. I’ve never liked the taste of milk and homemade yogurt was about the only dairy product I missed. This was in India and soy substitutes weren’t abundant back then. I’m not a great soy fan either, so in terms of flavour and variety, I didn’t mind the dairy-free diet at all.

When I did recover, I realised a few things. I had lived most of my life before jaundice with colds and coughs. They disappeared. I used to have very sensitive skin, breaking into rashes for no identifiable reason. The rashes disappeared as well. Being dairy-free made me much healthier. For the next ten years, I was a strict vegan. I never had a single cold, no respiratory or skin infections. I was very fit and active in some high-intensity sports.

Then I met the dude. He would coax me to share a cup of milky tea with him, a spoon of ice cream here, a cup of yogurt there. A very corrupting influence. I would have a bit of dairy, mainly homemade yogurt, but had soymilk with my cereal and calcium supplements. Two years ago, I had bloodwork done. My doctor saw the results and was very very unhappy with my calcium levels. “Double your calcium supplements.”

She also recommended increasing my protein intake. I’d reached a stage where I began to dislike soymilk almost as much as I disliked milk. So I switched. I started having 1% milk with my morning cereal and tea with milk twice a day in lieu of black. I was quite neglectful in taking my supplements, though. For the past year in fact, I haven’t taken any.

My latest blood results show normal calcium levels. I’ve also realised that I don’t react as badly to milk as I used to. I get suggestions from vegans telling me how a vegan diet is nutritionally superior. They also point to valid ethical reasons to avoid consuming dairy (and eggs). Being vegan worked for me for 10 years. Not so much now.

It’s a personal choice and everyone should find what works within their ethical and physical constraints. It’s not an either-or solution. It is possible to find milk produced and marketed more humanely than they do in the corporate dairy sector. It’s also a matter of deciding whether you want your calcium from tablets or from naturally produced milk. I prefer the latter, ‘cos it also meets my protein requirements.

If you are vegan and can sustain your lifestyle, more power to you.

What kind of milk?

Organic Milk

“Certified organic” means agricultural products have been grown and processed according to United State Department of Agriculture’s national organic standards, which for milk prohibits synthetic pesticide use in crop production and require outdoor access for animals in livestock production.

That is, the cows were fed “certified organic feed” which is at least 95% “pesticide-free” and are allowed to roam and feed freely. It refers to “how” the milk is produced.

Antibiotic-Free

Antibiotics are not really an issue when it comes to milk. In both conventional and organic milk production, milk from cows that receive antibiotics is not used until tests show it is antibiotic-free. All milk in the U.S. is routinely tested to ensure no antibiotic content.

Hormone-Free

That, actually, is a misnomer. All animals and their products have natural hormones. What “hormone-free” refers to is artificial growth hormones.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture,

A genetically engineered form of naturally occurring growth hormones, recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST, is given to a cow to increase milk production by as much as 20 percent.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved the use of rBST/BGH in 1993 for use in dairy cows after concluding there is no significant difference between milk from treated and untreated cows.

Monsanto, which produces Posilac, which is one of the most widely used of these artificial hormones, has been suing small producers from Maine to Florida for stating that their milk is free of artificial growth hormones. They are objecting to the implication that rBST/BGH is unsafe. Well, the use of artificial hormones are banned in dairy production in the European Union and Canada.

Samuel Epstein, professor emeritus of environmental medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, in his new book “What’s in Your Milk” charges that rBGH milk can increase the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer.

Dairy producers who do not use artificial growth hormones (like Tillamook) have been doing so without making it public so as not to be sued and intimidated by Monsanto with the government’s collusion. They’ve been working hard to take away our right to information as consumers.

Under pressure from Monsanto, the Pennsylvania agriculture secretary banned dairy producers who do not use artificial growth hormones from using the “hormone-free” label. After a public uproar, the governor reversed that decision. Now, Monsanto has created a group called American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology (Afact) to campaign for removing “hormone-free” labels in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Missouri and Vermont.

What about melamine?

The Food and Drug Administration’s latest initiative against public health is its attempt to conceal where melamine-tainted infant formula came from.

Is milk from cows fed with fish meal melamine tainted? we may never know.

There still are no reports of FDA inspection of domestic fresh milk for melamine, a noteworthy oversight given that dairy cows are sometimes fed fish meal, a product previously found to have melamine contamination. Or, maybe the FDA did inspect fresh milk and simply withheld the evidence as it did with its tests of infant formula. (Source)

While most of the melamine in the food chain in news reports has been linked to China, the entire food chain in the U.S. is melamine-tainted - in wheat gluten fed to cattle, and in a lot of the waste stream recycled into fertilisers. Melamine has a lot of adverse effects, mainly kidney failure.

Local and “hormone-free” OR Organic from the supermaket?

Local milk that is labelled “hormone-free” but not “organic” is a sort of compromise. You support local producers who are often more humane in their treatment of their animals and ensure that your dairy supply has a smaller carbon footprint as it comes from closer to home.

It’s more expensive than regular milk, but cheaper than “organic milk” as the dairy producers don’t have to pass the more stringent certification standards organic farms are subjected to.

Organic milk is ultimately is the “greenest”, ‘cos water, air and the soil and least tainted in the process of producing it. However, it does involve transportation from distant locations. However, in terms of health and safety, a whole slew of chemicals do get into our food chain anyway. Plus, organic milk is not necessarily healthier.

About 60 percent of the milk produced in the U.S. goes into dairy products like ice cream and cheese, so while we can control where the milk in our home comes from, we do not really know where the cream in the Starbucks cup of coffee was sourced.

See our earlier post - Milk: Is It Overrated?

Ivy at Kopiaste has conferred upon us the Angel Award. While we aren’t really enthused by awards (read my bitchfest), they make sense when they honour specific initiatives. This, therefore, is something we would like to pass on. Thank you, dear Ivy.

1. The rules of this award are not to be taken lightly–which means you can’t give it to someone just because they did something really sweet for you.
2. This award is to be given to bloggers that have shown they are angels by doing something humanitarian and heavenly to help others.
3. You don’t have to receive the award in order to give it. Feel free to copy it and bestow it on someone who is worthy of it. If you think they’re an angel, they probably are.
4. The award must be linked to a post about an organization or good cause you would like more people to be aware of.
5. The rules for this award are to be shown when giving the award.

When we think of “humanitarian and heavenly efforts to help others”, we’re thinking of initiatives rather than people. I like the idea of pointing to specific posts by fellow bloggers who have enlightened me and helped me expand my horizons. They do not believe in grand gestures. They simply transform their worlds by practising what they believe in and sharing glimpses of it through their blogs. They believe in responsible consumption and pause to think of the impact of their lifestyles and choices on those around them.

Here are some blogging initiatives that inspired me:

Human rights in Africa
Jeanne @ CookSister is passionate about a variety of causes, most notably in the developing world. Her latest effort is to raise money by blogging daily for a month for the UN Food Programme.

Food photography tutorials
A lot of bloggers take fantastic pictures. Some share their insights in ways that actually enlighten those aspiring to improve their own skills. The Food Photo 101 series from Nika @ Nikas Culinaria is a great example.

Food politics and policy
I have received a lot of my education on current food issues from Barbara Fisher’s blog, Tigers and Strawberries, especially the segment titled Food in the News.

Eating local and tracing where your food comes from
Another blogger who I really enjoy reading is Deb of Austin Agrodolce. She epitomises local, conscious consumption. A pre-packed frozen dinner and her take on it. Priceless. Check out her garden at Gardenista.

Combining food and art
Alexa from Artsy-Foodie cooks healthy, beautiful gluten-free food. What I love most is the inspiring way in which she combines art with food. She certainly has helped me see cuisine and its consumption in a refreshing, creative light.

Sharing knowledge
Lydia @ The Perfect Pantry is, well, Lydia. Each post is an encyclopedia of information. She writes not just to express herself, but to educate. Her latest post about cookbooks for gifting is an example. To her blogging is more than self-expression. I am always struck by the effort she expends in SHARING her vast repository of knowledge and experience with her readers.

Health and food safety
Regina @ Weight of the Evidence knocks my socks off with the breadth and depth of her research. Her latest initiative is the Food Stamp Challenge, where she tries to shop healthy on a limited budget.

Bloggeraid is a growing group of international food bloggers determined to make a difference to alleviate world famine.
You can pitch in by
1. Blogging about it.
2. Putting the badge on your blog and linking to the Bloggeraid site.
3. Participate in the fundraiser organised by Giz @ Equal Opportunity Kitchen. She’s selling a host of items and the proceeds will go to the World Food Program.
4. Do you have any items to auction or sell to raise money for the cause? Contact Bloggeraid.

- bee

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antibiotic-free, awards, Bloggeraid, Dairy/Cheese, food policy, food-production, hormone-free, milk, organic, POLITICS, vegan, vegetarian

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35 Comments so far

bhavani on December 2, 2008 6:33 pm
great write-up about milk. just a word about Horizon organic milk. i found, more than once, that Horizon milk went bad, though it was well within the expiration date. i later found that Horizon, unlike the small, locally-owned organic dairy farms that we hear about, was a mega farm with 4000+ cows. at an enviro website that rated organic milk brands, Horizon got a rating lower than Costco brand Kirkland organic milk. in fact, Whole Foods’ organic milk was one of the better organic milks available. i will hunt out the milk-rating link and send it to you.
Nags on December 2, 2008 7:10 pm
sometime long long back, my history teacher told me ‘ignorance is bliss’ and that’s when i heard it for the first time. I think i agree. maybe stupid too, but definitely is bliss.
Bharti on December 2, 2008 7:45 pm
Good post.
I have to mention one thing though.
“Certified Organic Feed” often refers to corn.
Cows are often fed corn which they really are not supposed to be eating. Corn is what makes them sick and need all the antibiotics. It alters the constitution of the milk. Among other things, it supposedly makes it higher in saturated fat than if the cows were to eat what they are supposed to- grass.
Usually farms like the one that is supplying to you advocate grass fed cows.
But then again, has the grass been treated with chemicals??
There is only so far you can go with this, but I think it’s worth it to get the best possible milk that you have access to.
I feel passionate about this because I don’t want my kids growing up on hormone laden “altered constitution” milk.
Although I’m not a vegan, I see the point of bypassing regular hormone milk completely.
I actually just placed my order today for a set up like yours. The milk I’ve ordered is from grass fed cows and non-homogenized (which supposedly is better). I’m paying 6.50 a gallon sold in plastic. If I want to buy 1/2 gallon glass bottles like the ones in your pic, they run 4 bucks each. And the delivery charge is 6 bucks.
My SIL lives in California and she told me yesterday that a gallon of milk from grass fed cows on a farm runs 12 bucks.

The guy who I spoke to today while placing my order said that half the milk on the market now is without rBST/BGH, but there are other hormones which are given to cows that consumers don’t know about.
Johanna on December 2, 2008 7:51 pm
Interesting post! I grew up in a country town where we bought our milk from a farm, our cheese from a local factory and on school camp visited the neighbouring dairy farm to see the cows being milked - I suspect my views of dairy are not quite in step with reality these days due to my childhood experiences being my main experience of it. But I am aware that I should have it for my health!
musical on December 2, 2008 8:33 pm
I was a faux vegan until i started living alone. I HATED milk, having been off milk since age 2 (and nothing could force milk into my system, i hated it soooooo much).That cuppa’ milky tea, something i completely avoided earlier, is now my weekend elixir. I hated dahi, and now i crave thayir sadam, raitas and other yogurt based dips. Taste corrupted me! Still haven’t reached a stage where i can gulp a glass of milk as is, or even with cereal. However, i do make sure that the milk i buy is organic and hormone free. One small pack lasts me a long while (which actually is cause for concern, why doesn’t the milk spoil?? within a week. what treatments are done to preserve it long. Does pasteurization etc alone result in this prolonged shelf life. Ditto for store bought bread and fruits such as apples).

For now, i do consume milk (3-5 chai cups a week worth) and dahi/yogurt (0-2 cups a week worth), and it suits me fine. Not a big fan of soy milk, but tofu is totally my favorite.

Talking about treatment of plants with chemicals, it seems to have reached huge proportions back in India. Several families that i know had to discontinue buying eggplants from vendors due to excessive use of chemical (it reflected in the taste, apparently!!). Btw, i am glad that you found a good source of milk that suits your needs just fine.
veggiebelly on December 2, 2008 9:05 pm
My naturopath always recommends organic milk; she says non-organic milk has a high amount of puss cells. My father has a more extreme view - he doesnt drink milk at all. His philosophy is that the only milk our bodies need comes from our mothers and once we are weaned from mothers milk, we dont need any more milk (we are the only mammals that drink the milk of another animal). I experimented a little this summer and cut out all dairy from my diet for 10 days. The biggest change I noticed was in my mood. I was happier in general and less irritable.

In the regular milk-organic milk-no milk spectrum, I am always wavering. If non-organic milk is not good for you, then organic milk is expensive. If organic milk is expensive, and you dont drink milk at all, would you get enough calcium and protein?
Manggy on December 2, 2008 9:17 pm
Great post. I was a bit surprised to see the price of the milk– it costs no more than regular UHT milk here, which you can’t do a bunch of things with. We also get (non-)pasteurized water buffalo milk here, but it is a tad expensive here in the city, much more perishable, and I don’t know how much it will affect the taste of my desserts.

Well-deserved award, too. Thank you for linking to these other great sites– will be checking them out.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) on December 2, 2008 9:32 pm
Gosh, I’m blushing. Thank you so much for passing on this award, and for your kind words about my blog.
Aparna on December 2, 2008 9:33 pm
Back in Cochin, you can still have fresh milk delivered to your doorstep but who knows what the cow has been fed, how much water has diluted the milk or even how clean the cow is!
This is the same question with the “pasteurized, homogenized” stuff that gets delivered in packets every morning. Like I said here at another post, only way to ensure safe milk would be to buy a couple of cows!

Research shows that calcium from foods is better utilized than from supplements. And my doctor tells me if I can have a minimum of 2 glasses of skimmed milk and 2 servings of yogurt, at least, a day it should take care of my calcium needs. I don’t like milk very much but I love yogurt. So I chill my milk and have it plain or in fruit shakes or as frozen yogurt, etc and thayir chadham, of course!
Elizabeth on December 2, 2008 9:38 pm
Very interesting fact about water buffalo milk being predominant in India. I wonder if that holds true for Nepal, where I grew up. That might explain why I’ve never been able to find yogurt in the U.S. as tasty as the yogurt I had as a child! (It’s something I’ve been wondering about for years!)
Raaga on December 2, 2008 9:39 pm
Incidentally, I entered the elevator and asked a neighbour (who has 2 very cute kids), “Do I have a milk moustache?” She was shocked initially and then burst out laughing. I used to drink 2 glasses a day growing up and 2 cups of dahi… I still have my dahi, but at least one glass of milk each morning. Mother Dairy it is for all of us. I really haven’t tried too many different types of milk
Nirmala on December 2, 2008 10:01 pm
In the city I cannot see any organic milk around and we rely on Aavin’s packeted milk in the mornings. As Nags said “Ignorance is bliss” I had never thought about any of the above but had happily enjoyed my morning cuppa everyday. I very well know the cows roam around in the streets (still in T.Nagar) live on cinema posters
Manisha on December 2, 2008 11:41 pm
Delivery charge? I think our local dairies build delivery charge into the price of their milk. They also give us coupons that we can use throughout the year which makes items like butter, heavy cream, orange juice, etc. worth the buy.

And, dammit, since Horizon is a Boulder company, I assumed their farms were in Colorado and did not feel so bad about buying their yogurt or milk. Oh well, live and learn.

The doctors laugh it off when I tell them but seriously, a lot of Medha’s allergies disappeared when we switched to “natural” milk.

Good to hear that your calcium levels are normal!
Ivy on December 3, 2008 4:13 am
Thanks for the very informative post about milk. I have learned quite a few things from your post. Buffalo is new to Greece maybe the last ten years but I have not seen any buffalo milk yet, maybe because there is not a big production. On the contrary we have a lot of goat and sheep’s milk which again is scarce as it is consumed in making cheese. The only milk we get is cows’ milk but we do not have the slightest idea about what they feed them.

Thanks for passing on the award to people you consider worthy for this award. I shall pay them a visit soon. Thank you.
Allison on December 3, 2008 6:23 am
I am fortunate enough to belong to a “milk club” and relish my weekly gallon of raw milk, used primarily for yogurt, simple soft cheeses, and to splash into my cuppa. Prerequisite reading when joining the club was “The Untold Story of Milk” by Ron Schmid…it’s an interesting and enlightening read which I highly recommend.

The Cornucopia Institute has an organic dairy report which rates many brands of commercial milk and dairy products. Go to their website (Cornucopia.org) and see how your favorite brand rates.
TexasDeb on December 3, 2008 6:26 am
Oh my, Bee! What to say? Thank you very much for passing along the award (and apparently some of your legions of fans/readers). You are very sweet to have thought of me.

When it comes to inspiration, Jugalbandi is pretty much the headwaters. The depth of information, the open honest sharing, the artistry, the humor - it is all here, day in and day out.

Many of us have come to depend upon this blog as you would any friend you know you can rely upon for good conversation, honesty, integrity and humor.

Thanks for everything you do - here on the blog and everywhere else in your life.
Jeanne on December 3, 2008 6:36 am
Firstly, this is exactly the kind of post that illustrates why I love your blog so much. It’s thought-provoking and informative, but above all balanced. I can’t stand being told that this is ABSOLUTELY the ONLY way to eat/shop/live because there are all sorts of considerations involved in these decisions, some of them unique to the person concerned. I love how you give us the tools to make our own choices and show us that there is no one right way.

ANd secondly I am deeply touched that you gave me this award. It’s a great honour, particularly because I always think I’m not quite doing enough to make the world a better place. I will pass it on with great consideration.

If nothing else, it will nudge me back into blogging after my exhausting month of NaBloPoMo
Rashmi on December 3, 2008 7:17 am
I have similar problems when i consume milk…the day i consume milk ,i get cold….i have tried everything from organic to non organic…..i must try milk from the local farms….very informative post….thanks for sharing….
Alka on December 3, 2008 8:16 am
Thats a truckload of information on milk and i can imagine how much research had been done to compile the facts so aptly!
I completely agree with you that being a vegan or veg or non-vegetarian is completely a matter of choice and preference.Though i HATE milk, i make sure my kid have this daily dose of calcium (Double standards…duh !).For me popping in a calcium tablet is much easier than gulping down that white thing…but yeah i am sucker for curds so i guess it works well for me
Congrats on the Award, Finally you acknowledged one
Happy Cook on December 3, 2008 8:53 am
Here my hubby says some 20 years they did this, but now they don’t do anymore.
Wish i could get those eggs here for that price.
My mom back at home still gets frsh milk everyday brought to her place by a small boy from a farm and goat milk too.
Congrats to the agel award.
You are indeed a angel
Namratha on December 3, 2008 9:17 am
Fabulous post Bee, thoroughly enjoyed all the info on Milk. And that is a well deserved award!!
Smita on December 3, 2008 9:37 am
AWESOM

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