What Makes Organic Milk Organic?
There are four requirements that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has established in order for a product to be labeled USDA Organic Milk. Here are the four requirements and a brief look at the arguments for and against each requirement.
NO ANTIBIOTICS
One requirement of organic milk is that the cows are not treated with antibiotics. In non-organic milk production if a cow needs antibiotics it is treated and then returned to the herd once tests show that it is antibiotic free. If a cow in an organic herd needs to be treated with antibiotics, it is not allowed to return to the herd for 12 months.
PASTURE GRAZING
In addition organic milk cows must have access to pasture. Currently the standards do not require a specific length of time for the cows to be allowed access to a pasture. There is some controversy surrounding the practices of a few organic milk producers not allowing enough pasture time for their herds.
NO BGH
Another requirement of organic milk is that the cows cannot be treated with BGH – bovine growth hormone, which increases milk production. People feel this is important because there is concern that BGH hormones in milk could lead to higher levels of IGF – insulin growth factor – which is linked with cancer and that it could raise the risk of other hormone-related cancers. Others say that BGH is harmless. The reason is that BGH is a protein hormone, which means that if some does appear in milk, our digestive track destroy it. In addition our bodies naturally produce some IGF each day. High levels of IGF are most often associated with being overweight, and consuming diets high in saturated fat and refined calories, not milk consumption.
WHAT THEY ARE FED
Organic herds can only be fed grain or grass that is not treated with pesticides. Again it is stated that the small levels of pesticides in non-organic milk are safe and do not pose health risks.
Here is an interesting video from my favorite Organic Milk Producer – Straus Family Creamery
MY REACTION
I choose to drink organic milk even if many say that it is not worth the extra cost. Why? For the reasons stated above. I love milk and I am trying to fuel my body with only the highest quality foods, in my mind that means organic foods whenever possible. You will have to decide if the processes listed above provide enough value for you to justify the additional cost of organic milk.
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