Page 93 - Summer2008

and did not become part of the ofcial re- was not reported in news releases. A voluntary

cord. recall was announced three days later—there
• Ignore equally likely or more likely sources was no sense of urgency. In fact, Wal-Mart was
of infection, such as visit to a farm or petting applauded by Commissioner Tommy Irvin.
zoo, tap water or other foods. There were no government recalls, no warnings
• Assume that statistical association consti- to the public to avoid drinking pasteurized milk.
tutes proof. It is easy to create a statistical More of the double standard. In 2006 pasteurized
association with raw milk using the above milk caused illness in 1300 inmates in 11 Cali-
techniques. fornia state prisons, yet

• Issue inamma- we heard no outcry to
tory press releas- remove this dangerous
es against raw product from the mar-
milk, which are ket.
not retracted but Another example of
left on govern- the double standard
ment websites comes from the Cen-
when the dairy ters for Disease Con-
is exonerated. trol (CDC) website,
which warns against
The industry has raw milk as a source of
used these techniques salmonella. Yet a few
to make raw milk points later the same
the whipping boy for All smiles after obtaining a temporary restraining document states that
outbreaks caused by order for AB 1735, the sneak attack legislation unpasteurized milk (in
other foods. It is clear against raw milk, are Gary Cox, counsel for the the form of breast milk)
that in recent months Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF), is the safest food for
ex-assemblyman Rusty Areas, Collette Cassidy and
government agencies Dr. Ron Garthwaite, owners of Claravale Dairy, infants and that raw Problems with
are making a well- Mark McAfee, founder of Organic Pastures Dairy breast milk prevents pasteurized
coordinated effort to Corporation, and Ken Gorman with the FTCLDF. many health problems, milk tend to
blame some of their including infection by
most serious problems, such as listeria and E. salmonella. Everything that we have learned be glossed

coli O157:H7, on raw milk. The fact that only raw about the health benefits, immune support, over or
milk was quarantined during the 2006 California probiotic qualities and anti-pathogenic compo-
E. coli outbreak attributed to spinach is an excel- nents of raw human milk over the last 40 years underreported.
lent example of these biased tactics. applies equally to the raw milk of other species. Recently three
Meanwhile, problems with pasteurized Studies showing that babies given pasteurized people died
milk tend to be glossed over or underreported. breast milk have more infections, more health
Recently three people died from listeria in pas- problems and do not grow as well compared to from listeria in
teurized milk in Massachusetts. On February raw breast milk apply equally to the milk from pasteurized
24, 2006, Wal-Mart in Vidalia, Georgia pulled other species. milk in
pasteurized milk from shelves due to foul odor. The FDA calls drinking raw milk “risky
At least one child was seriously sick, a fact that behavior.” A 1999 FDA survey involving 19,356 Massachusetts.

RAW DAIRY PRODUCTS IN NEVADA

Thanks to the work of the indefatigable Bari Caine, now a chapter leader in Reno, legal forms of raw dairy products
are now available at Wild Oats stores and Whole Foods in Las Vegas. The Organic Pastures products include raw colostrum,
“Superlite Raw Colostrum,” composed of 95 percent raw milk and 5 percent colostrum, raw “Quefor,” kombucha and
raw cheddar cheese. The Organic Pastures truck can drop shipments to groups at reduced prices. For further information,
contact Organic Pastures at 877-729-6455.

SUMMER 2008 Wise Traditions 91