Page 80 - Spring2015

A Campaign for Real Milk

RAW MILK IN IRELAND
By Elisabeth Ryan

The sale of raw drinking milk remains tenu- tion of regulations in order to help minimize
ously legal in Ireland due to the work of raw milk potential risk. We organized a very well-attended
supporters who highlighted this issue and forced public debate in 2011, and representatives from
the department of agriculture to change its mind the food safety authority also took part, though
about an outright ban. Now we face new and as the department of agriculture declined. The utter
yet unknown difficulties as our government has determination of the authorities to stick to the
started drafting regulations for the sale of raw idea of a ban over any other options was evident
milk with, as yet, no involvement from the food at this point. As well as much use of the term
community. “Russian Roulette,” one unfortunate panelist
Anyone who has traversed the Emerald Isle who grew up on a farm referred to himself as “a
can attest to the common sight of green pastures raw milk survivor.” It was evident that a fore-
and grazing animals—the high quality of our gone conclusion had been drawn and that their
milk, butter and cheese is a testament to this. approach was then to go backwards to garner
But a significant amount of this highest quality scientific evidence to support their conclusion
A Campaign milk is exported a sinister powdered substances; that raw milk is a hugely dangerous substance.
for Real Milk in fact Ireland is the largest single supplier to the Science, as we all know, should not start with a
is a project of infant formula market worldwide. This is the conclusion, but rather should reach a conclusion
the Weston A. main reason our government wanted to ban the based on the evidence.
Price sale of raw milk: their fear was, and still is, that
Foundation. an illness relating to consumption would single- THE FIRST PRODUCERS
handedly destroy one of the shining lights of our
David Tiernan, Aidan and Mary Harney,
To obtain difficult economic situation. Mary and Gerry Kelly, and Darina Allen were
some of our the first producers to bottle and sell their raw
informative PREVIOUSLY BANNED milk—they truly were heroic in the face of all
Real Milk The sale of raw milk in Ireland is a recent they had to do just to sell their milk to the people
brochures, phenomenon. When new European regulations who wanted it. In one early communication from
were introduced in 2007 this caused a previous the Department of Agriculture to brief all mem-
contact the ban dating to 1996 to be invalidated. The cam- bers of the Dáil (the Irish Parliament) about the
Foundation at paign for Raw Milk Ireland was formed in 2010, proposed ban, a reference was made to “a farmer
(202) when the food community realized the implica- in the northeast taking advantage of the absence
363-4394. tions of the new regulations. Sadly, just as soon of the statutory instrument and selling milk at
Check out our as we became aware that sales were permitted, markets and or local shops despite the depart-
the Department of Agriculture, “acting on the ment’s requests that he not do so.” This farmer
website, advice of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland,” was David Tiernan, who has since tragically
RealMilk.com clearly indicated to us their intent to introduce a passed away, and the language used to describe
for additional new ban. him in such a way was deeply insulting to him;
information The campaign had the support of many dif- David operated his farm to impeccable standards
and sources ferent food and farming organizations as well as and was exceedingly proud of his milk. In fact
of Real Milk some high-profile chefs and a number of back his inspector told him that the department of
bench politicians, and we managed to garner agriculture would not encourage him to sell raw
products. much media attention. We took a very measured milk, but he had never received a direct request
approach and consistently asked for the introduc- to cease. The same communication from the
78 Wise Traditions SPRING 2015 Wise Traditions

150123_text.indd 78 3/27/15 2:59 AM