You read through The Wall Street Journal article yesterday about the European efforts to reign in raw milk vending machines, and you realize that raw milk is, indeed, becoming a worldwide issue. It’s an issue in Canada, New Zealand, England, and now in Italy, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, and others of the European Union.
And to read that Italy is a center of the regulatory effort, shutting down vending machines and requiring huge warning signs on those that remain in operation, well, you know there have to be outside forces at work to get the Italians to clamp down. And with no urgent public health problems providing the urgency, what might be providing the stimulus?
I was just there for a week and I can say, based even on a very limited view, that they don’t pay attention to much in terms of public safety unless something external is going on. My main exposure to Italian regulation was in a number of train stations, and everywhere I looked, people were on their own. Basic public services like elevators and escalators didn’t work, and there was no warning signage and no one seemed to care.
My wife and I rode a train for two-and-a-half hours from its home station to the end, with no announcement of the train departing, no ventilation on board the train, and no sign of any service people, or even a conductor to collect tickets. And passengers weren’t the least bit fazed. The only thing I know for sure is that someone was driving the train, because it left and arrived sort of on time.
One thing that still works, and works well, is the food. It is delicious. Wonderful traditional food made from fresh ingredients is still widely available. Italian regulators know better than to mess with people’s food, yet here they are messing with people’s raw milk.
So I figure if the Italians are going after raw milk, it must be because business interests are prodding them, or maybe just out and out paying them off. Maybe it’s Parmalat? That’s the huge Italian dairy company, once Europe’s equivalent of Dean Foods. There was a big bribery scandal there a decade ago that pretty much flattened the company and put its top execs in jail, but it has since been taken over by a French conglomerate, and is still considered a worldwide dairy powerhouse.
You have to remember that the American monopoly, Dean Foods, is an international player, trying to export ever more of that pasteurized milk that Americans aren’t drinking.
After all, they are all reading the same research results we all have been reading, about how raw milk protects against asthma and allergies. And now there is yet another study out of Europe showing the same results as the earlier studiesraw-milk-drinking children show signs of stronger immune function than pasteurized-milk-drinkering children. The latest one concludes that infants on raw milk have 30% fewer infections compared to infants on the pasteurized stuff.
The European dairy oligarchs must be reading these studies and, like their corporate cousins in the U.S., becoming ever more afraid, afraid that raw milk is becoming an ever greater force. You don’t have to be a consumer marketing genius to understand the likely effects of these studies on moms and dads worldwide. I mean, who wouldn’t be attracted to raw milk with the kind of health benefits families are experiencing?
I know, one of the researchers on this latest study wrote in some hedging language about raw milk’s potential dangers. It’s the same sort of language as contained in the other European studies, and seems to be a prerequisite if you’re going to get your results published in a “prestige” journal like Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Jeez, all you have to do is watch the evening news and listen to the list of side effects of all those prescription medications advertised ad nauseum. Heart attacks, dizziness, blood clots, blackouts, blindness, leprosy (okay, maybe not leprosy), etc, etc, etc. It is mind boggling. And that stuff is all legal to advertise in prime time. The research behind these drugs all gets published in prestigious journals, and no one says the drugs shouldn’t be used until all (or any) of the side effects are eliminated. Who is kidding whom here?
No, I’m coming around to the conspiracy camp when it comes to the worldwide battle over access to raw milk. The big guys are getting desperate. They see 1,300 vending machines in Italy, with the number growing all the time, and they know where things are going. There’s many billions of Euros at stake here.
When I was in Denmark at the International Milk Genomics Consortium conference, I was impressed by the dire frustration that reverberated palpably at each PHD presentation.
Proclaimations like” pasteurization destroys everything” and….
2100 important proteins have been identified in raw milk, every one of them denatured and destroyed by heat!
It is not possible to create a synthetic raw milk!
The maldodetrin used in baby formulas is destructive to the villi and intimate linings of the infant intestine!!
Lactose is critical to proper development of the infant gut!
The DHA added into expensive baby formulas does not work and is a waste of money!
The raw milk science is being wiki leaked. One scientist that worked in Copenhagen called Arla ( the huge Danish dairy company ) the Milk Mafia!
Yes David, there is change in the raw milk winds!! I am so very blessed and glad that I produce in CA and that RAWMI is alive and well.
The 18 PHDs including Dr. Loss and Erica Von Mutuis got it right with raw milk and children when they report dramatically improved immune status as they further support earlier raw milk studies and the landmark PASTURE cohort. Dr. Ton Baars sent this study in PDF to me yesterday…wow what a study, complete with the condemnation of UHT milk as not good for kids!!
It appears that Basel Switzerland and some other key EU research centers simply do not care about and are not funded by big industry. These rogue researchers will indeed liberate the “not so free world” of suppressed raw milk. These rogue scientists are simply heros in my book!!! They are the future hope for the possibility of the ultimate baby and children’s food…..fresh raw milk.
Since every peer reviewed published article that reports great things about raw milk must also include some desparaging remarks about the safety of raw milk, I predict that one of the next big studies will be the review of RAWMI and raw milk risk QMRA data. Raw milk risk reduction is the “Key & the holy grail” that will unleash all this pent up great news from: Parsifal, Amish, Gabriela, Pasture cohort and now this new Pasture confirmation study by Dr. Loss and Von Mutius and 16 more PHDs.
I know how to connect with Von Mutius. I will be connecting shortly. We have a mutual friend. If raw milk becomes defensible as low risk…everything changes. We have this data and one very huge CA market as living proof. Pennsylvania ( Edwin ) adds massive data to support what we have done as well. This paradigm is cracking as we write. Meanwhile, Carnation, Nestle, Deans Foods, Arla, Parmalate are all squirming as they wonder how the hell they were fooled into the idea that pasteurization was a settled science.
It’s all about money and power.
Use the ultimate power of money: Send the unmistakable message via consumer dollar voting!! In capitalism, the greatest and most powerful message is sent buy market sales behavior.
Deans foods is being dollar voted to death. They are the biggest processor and biggest most corrupt thief of dairymans dollars and also consumer nutrition in the USA!. Look at this stock analyst assessment. In stock brockers speek…their loss of market share for pasteurized fluid markets are really taking a bite out of their market share and also profitability!!
http://seekingalpha.com/article/2586055-dean-foods-business-conditions-remain-tough
Just to add a little perspective versuses the recent analysis of data from the PASTURE study (note this isn’t really ‘new’). The comparisons between UHT milk and Raw Farm Milk were on the basis of only 113 and 131 children who were given these, respectively (of the total 983). Milk was introduced as the children became older, so the authors corrected for this by counting in child-weeks (using the weekly diaries). For UHT this was 1186 and for Ram Farm Milk 1279 child-weeks (there were 37306 total child -weeks). As a result, the associations with illness might well be criticised for a lack of statistical power.
I liked Italy too (except for the pickpockets). I seem to remember recently reading of very poor conditions on some Italian buffalo farms, so the increased regulatory attention to raw milk might be a sideswipe from this. Just a thought.
John
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/10/study-antibiotics-may-help-spread-salmonella-between-animals/
“An estimated 80 percent of all antibiotics in the U.S. are given to livestock…”
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“Mice given antibiotics to treat Salmonella infections have been found to grow even sicker and start shedding more pathogens afterward. In fact, they begin to shed the same levels of bacteria as so-called super spreaders, the small minority of infected mice in the population who exhibit no signs of illness but spread large amounts of bacteria.”
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If this holds true for livestock as well and I think it will it would have obvious public health implications. We need to think about the possibility that were not only selecting for antibiotic-resistant microbes, but also impairing the health of our livestock and increasing the spread of contagious pathogens among them and us.
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“Its not entirely clear why some animals and humans are superspreaders while others are not. ”
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end of quotes from the article.
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The bigger problem is that those in power want to stay in power and strive to have more and more control over all aspects of our lives…including real food that allows us to think clearly, objectively and be healthy.
Take a look at this short video:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/are-you-a-narcissist/
After viewing this video…look at the people around you and notice to what extent we/they are narcissist….
–bill
Between the stress of jobs, running kids around and strict budgets, they are overwhelmed and thinking is on the back burner.
TPTB push “sugar, carbs, sodium, protein” as nutrition. They rarely say anything about the vitamin/mineral content of foods. I could care less about calories, or protein, or sugar, or carbs. I want to know how nutritious the food is and if it is natural (made by Mother Nature) or synthetic. In reality, people don’t even know what real nutrition is.
I always liked it when a farmer has a print out of a recipe for something they were selling, just as Whole Foods, The Nugget markets do (only theirs is in color).
People need to be taught or they won’t venture into something different and things will stay the same.
John, where can readers of this blog access the data you use from the PASTURE study? Do you have a link to the journal article, or some other report on the research?
The full text journal article is linked through an article about the study in DairyReporter.com. This came up when I Googled ‘Raw Milk’. I was surprised the article was free. Often journal articles are a bit expensive.
John
Hey here’s another article on dissent and how Big Brother deals with it:
“1/28/2011 … Almost three weeks after news broke that police are spying on the UK protest movement, controversy continues to emerge on a daily basis. Whilst any use of undercover agents in a largely peaceful and entirely progressive movement is wrong, the revelations that male undercover police were having sex with women to elicit information adds further outrage.
On Monday I joined with women from across the movement at a blockade of Scotland Yard. We wanted to show our solidarity with the women who have been personally affected by police abuse and demand that the police reveal the names of all undercover officers who have operated in the movement. Women who have unknowingly had relationships with them have a right to know the truth and should be in a position to be able to take action against the police. …
Whilst the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), the murky private body which ran these operations, claims that police regulations do not allow undercover agents to have sexual relations with targets, a former spy cop revealed last week that sex with activists was encouraged as a tactic…”
taken from : http://womendiary-befashion.blogspot.com/2011/01/protesting-unethical-undercover.html
I think this is the study info you used. It looks to be an abstract, though has a fair amount of the data. It came out a couple years ago; not sure why it is being widely reported just now.
Yes, this is the one. You can access the paper itself by clicking on Full Text. As I read, this paper was published on-line last Sunday and has been picked up by the press since then.
John
John
All views are welcome here, provided the individuals are sincere, and refrain from personal attacks and/or inappropriate language.”
Tomm it appears that the many recent posts have deviated from the intended mission of the blog. No, I am not offended by your sense of humor, laughter is good for the soul. Challenging someone to debate what they said is not a bad thing, BUT when you attempt to converse with those that are closed minded and do nothing but attack others, you are wasting time. They do not want to see nor accept anyone elses views. Didn’t someone post something about narcissists that was spot on?
People who are seeking information about food freedom and raw dairy, aren’t going to stick around when they see so many posts that have nothing to do with the main mission.
Any new people and also many old timers that just read, may just not return. This would be a shame.
Sylvia and Shelly…..Yes, sometimes this blog does bog down with inappropriate and even tasteless comments. As I think Sylvia suggested, these phases do tend to blow over. Hope we’re on our way to that happening.
I hope I am not overstepping any boundaries here; If so feel free to remove this comment.
Shelly
The desire for freedom of speech is a global phenomenon that millions of people from every corner of the world have died for. I dont think its correct to accuse Americans of having taken it to far. If anything it is the suppression of free speech that has gone to far in this world.
Life isnt fair, and human beings of all races, sex and creed are seemingly engaged in an endlessly search for equality, freedom and justice.
If we are cut from the same cloth, and I believe we are for if, God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them, then why is there so much injustice and inequity? This is a question that every human being must answer if we are ever going to get beyond our current dilemma.
Men and women are rational, volitional beings. In other words, we both have the ability to reason and make choices, so, in this sense we are equals even though in this world we are often not perceived or treated as such.
Paul stated that through faith in Christ Jesus we are all one, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-29
Or as Peter eventually realized, In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. Acts 10:34
Even though we bear the image of God, we also, each and every one of us, (mentally, morally, socially, and physically) equally bear the scars of sin. Hence the reason why there is unjustness and inequality in this world.
The world is what it is because of our rebellion against God.
If all humans understood and recognized their stature before God and made a conscious choice to follow Christs new command, I believe that the world would undoubtedly be a better place.
Ken
Also, I bumped the thread to the top of the first page.
Mr Gumpert did say hes come around to whats called the conspiratorial view of history which means hes willing to accept that human history isnt just one long sequence of random events. After about a decade studYing opposition to REAL MILK, hes entertaining the notion that theres much more going on, than the laughable cover-story about it being a risk to public health.
Within the past year, Dean foods acknowledged having carried-on a scheme to cheat its dairy farmer suppliers out of billion$. in the courts of the land, criminals are prosecuted for conspiracies, every day. So its no stretch of imagination, to grasp that its any different at the very highest levels of govt.
One of the definitions of intelligence, is : the ability to see a pattern with less information than others. At the URL, below, is a list of facts, leading to the irrefutable pattern that there most certainly IS a grand conspiracy, at the very highest levels of the govt. of the United States, to de-populate the world. Is it not think-able that those who are intent on that policy, have stolen the nutritional content of the basis of the nations food supply real milk as a way to interfere with our reproductive capacity?
http://www.newswithviews.com/Gonzalez/servando131.htm
last year, it was alleged that the Israelis had a policy of reducing the caloric intake of people in the Gaza Strip. If true, that comes within the definition of genocide. Applied to this forum, if it can be proven that the same thing has occurred in America with the milk – especially targeting white folkd – then that amounts to Treason
sure, this is strong meat : too much for most people to handle.
But what if its true? !
Everyone that is interested is invited to Penn State Univerisity for an 8 hour joint Penn State-RAWMI training day. You will get a full dose of PhD researcher information, plus our very own Dr. Cat Berge Edwin Shank and little old me. November 14th is the day. The invitation and information is at http://www.rawmilkinstitute.org tuition assistance is available. Just ask….we do not want anyone that wants to attend to miss this event. This is the third annual training day, each has been very special and everyone learns something, even the presenters.
Imam so very proud that university PhDs have endorsed and promoted RAWMI and our RAMP systems.
My next step is to get RAWMI data published by a US university. I am working on getting an EU university to research and study RAWMI data. Seems like initial progress being made on that front as well. Dr. Berge has already been hard at work collaborating.
One huge lesson for this year has been….PHDs now acknowledge that it is not possible to sythesize or replicate (for baby food) raw milk after it has been pasteurized. Now to get them to begin to become interested in RAMP systems as an effective method to produce low risk safe raw milk…problem solved!!! Year after year the EU is publishing huge profoundly important studies on raw milk and its beneficial medical effects.
http://www.westonaprice.org/press/raw-milk-symposium-will-explore-raw-milk-safety-issues/
Sometimes I get tired of the flak, from = ostensibly – people on my own side. Then I feel like you-all deserve what you get . confer with the Old Testament … the part where the Israelites who did all the second-guessing + kvetching, never got to enter the Promised Land
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/farm-marketing-and-management/5-ways-to-market-your-raw-milk-quietly.aspx
so I guess any and all mention which refers to the politics of “food rights”, isnow verbotten on this website : my bad.
When the thugs with govt. badges, walk in and dump your private property, ie. REAL MILK, down the sewer, I notice alla you smiley-face characters who prefer to paddle-around in a puddle of warm milk, don’t just wish the local tyrants “have a nice day” and go back to your knitting!
My experiences through 3 major POLITICAL controversies, taught me that newbies who arrive in hell’s- kitchen, with a political philosophy espoused in Bambi ( the 1955 Disneyland version) * sing a very different tune after the sky falls in on THEM, and they face the classic question : “where does Evil come from?” ! * “if you can’t say anything nice, dear, don’t say anything at all.”
I’d be grateful to anyone who can point me to a forum where the participants take seriously, the Campaign for REAL MILK
You do not go half way with raw milk! Going all the way is in my opinion just getting on board with progress. There is so much to learn. One thing for sure, the Listed RAWMI producers are fantastic mentors and give unselfishly for the betterment of all raw milk. We need more producers that take this greater step!!
Gordon, I think you’re hallucinating. Nothing has changed in the mission. But if you want to interpret it as not allowing discussion of the politics of food rights, go ahead.
Getting on board?
Have you taken the time to query them as to why theyve chosen not to join the RAWMI club after they have gone to the effort of receiving the info?
There is nothing wrong with having expectations. It would be a mistake however to expect people to get on board. Be thankful that they were open minded enough to hear you out.
Ken
You choose to butt heads with conventionally trained and educated regulators and agricultural specialists who live in graphs and breath statistics. I get that you need data to do that, it’s a powerful tool. But its not the only tool in the shed. Many, if not most, dairy farmers interested in producing raw milk were trained in the field working along side their parents, grand parents and siblings. This’s the way it’s been in this country for hundreds of years and the reason raw milk is in demand in the first place. You, your farm, your data, didn’t create the raw milk market, you supply it and help it grow. Yet you come along in a whirlwind of raw milk for all enthusiasm and tell farmers they have to change their ways, that you have discovered the right way to run a dairy farm. And then when they actually take a look at your program, even institute some or all of your protocols, you slam their integrity if they choose not to supply you with test data. You gotta know the climate of acceptance for raw milk differs widely from state to state, and that displaying test data for some would mean farm raids, media attacks, court battles, legal costs, or the loss of their livelihood. This kind of thing tears families apart. How can expect people to do that, just so you can collect data? Why the lack of tolerance for others taking their own path, doing what they CAN do? Progress takes time and patience with respect for the reality of the big picture. You can not force or belittle people into seeing things your way. You just piss them off, maybe thats why so few have jumped on board with RAWMI.
Mark, I support your mission of raw milk for all who want it, and I actually promote RAWMI and the tools it can offer farmers when its appropriate, and the farmer is open to it. But I also believe being RAWMI LISTED is not good for all farmers in all states. There are lots of farmers who consistantly produce extremely high quality milk and they honestly don’t need your help. So then it becomes a question of obligation toward the bigger cause – that everyone should have legal access to raw milk – which would mean joining the food freedom movement. Kinda funny how thats goes full circle, its all connected.
You said that quite eloquently, and sadly, it has been said numerous times in many ways on this blog and a few others.
Like a horse that wears blinders, some people also wear them and they too have tunnel vision and no desire to take the blinders off. Guess it prevents them from being spooked with the realities of life.
Mark, the value RAWMI provides is not in being “listed,” the value is in preventing “outbreaks” which result in media circuses and calls for complete bans. The value is in showing the public and the government that we actually care about safety. Cat is wrong. De-link training from listing, and you will get a lot more support. Roll out the training to hundreds and thousands, yes — but don’t expect “listing” in return.
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
Looking forward to raw milk vending machines in Kentucky. (No, it’s not happening yet. Just dreaming…)
Actually, anywhere in the U.S. would be welcome!
Keep dreaming, lol.