When Raw Milk Does Make People Ill, Let's Avoid Going Religious
Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 10:13AM So now we have reports that illnesses in Connecticut and Missouri are closely linked to contaminated raw milk. While the evidence may not be conclusive, I’m willing to accept the likelihood these particular illnesses were caused by raw milk.
From what we’ve learned about the Connecticut dairy, in particular, especially the report from a customer excerpted by Don Neeper following my July 27 post, management and operations at the Simsbury Town Dairy deteriorated over time. If there’s one guideline for raw milk that stands out over all others, it is this: “Know your supplier.”
In other words, when conditions change, be wary, and trust your instincts. Raw milk is a fragile product and must be produced with great care and attention to detail.
I would offer one other guideline from these and other cases where individuals likely have become ill from consumption of raw milk: don’t draw absolute convictions. The temptation is to cite this or that case and say, “Aha, what did I tell you? Raw milk is inherently dangerous.”
Or, on the other side, “They haven’t proven absolutely positively that it was the raw milk that made people sick. It’s just part of another smear campaign.”
The fact is that hundreds of thousands of people are consuming raw milk every single day, without getting sick. In fact, many of them become ever more healthy as a result.
The challenge with regard to raw milk illnesses, as with all foodborne illness, is to avoid ideology. There is more we don’t know about foodborne illness than we know, except we won’t admit it.
When we resort to ideology, we resort to beliefs…as in, I believe in an after life…I believe in resurrection…I was born again…I believe in reincarnation.
Beliefs are fine, so long as they are recognized as such. The problem comes when people try to make everyone abide by their beliefs. We see the results narrowly with the restrictions on raw milk distribution around the country, and more broadly with the ongoing sanitation of the food system. Of course, we see the results in religion on a daily basis around the world.
As several people have pointed out, it’s important to learn from the cases of raw milk contamination. And use the lessons to reduce the likelihood of future problems, not to ban or restrict access to the product.
Reader Comments (14)
Good grief, I'm agreeing with Marler?!?
Ken Conrad
Sounds like the stuff cp and C2 have been saying for awhile on this blog...has a corner been turned toward common ground?.
Rhianna
Sounds like the stuff cp and C2 have been saying for awhile on this blog...has a corner been turned toward common ground?."
I believe many on this blog have been saying this. I don't recall which: c2 or cp, one or both had said ban it from children. Restricting because of another's belief system is wrong. That is no different than forcing your beliefs on another.
"Raw milk is inherently dangerous.”
Everything has the potential to be dangerous.
The next step toward common ground and seeking the truth would be to really look at the situation from the dairy to the consumer that led up to these illnesses...would you agree? Examine changes in management at the farm/distribution levels; how advertising at the market/retail level influenced the consumer's decision (or didn't); how surrogate lab tests by the regulatory authorities...like high somatic cell counts, standard plate counts, and even coliforms...and pathogen tests...correlated (or didn't) with the illnesses. W
As disclosure, I am skeptical that the consumer would be able to evaluate much about the "safety" of the product they are buying using only the "know your farmer" model. Skeptical, but a thorough analysis would be welcome before these illnesses are used to rush into new laws/regulations.
Worth a closer look, don't you think?
Rhianna
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103454.html?hpid=sec-health
If you automatically assume the problem is from the dairy to the consumer then no common ground will be achieved.
If you automatically assume the problem is from the dairy to the consumer then no common ground will be achieved.
As David suggested several posts back “the health histories and eating habits” of those who become ill aught to be examined and as well a concerted effort needs to be made as to why so many did not become ill when exposed to the same organism.
The organisms will do what they have to do to survive and unless we divert from our narrow, simplistic, manipulative, destructive and non sustainable methodologies then the troth will continue to evade us.
Ken Conrad
I have always said that sanitation, the health of the animal and environment are key factors in producing a healthy product. They are not the only factors.
In the past, I think it was the state certified lab that OP used; they had a very different result than the state did for some of the dairy products. So who to believe? OP checks on the farm and sends out samples. Since the govt entities are batting zero, they need to improve the inept business practices, out right lies and twisting of facts.
"know your farmer" I do realize that common sense isn't so common. However, I also have faith in the majority that they are very capable of deciding what is best for them. You can meet someone in their own environment and make a decision if you wish to do business with them.
Looking around a farm, you can get a good idea on the sanitation practices. You are also able to ask questions and get answers.
You also have the ability to research how things "should be".
Just driving past a factory dairy shows that I do not wish to do business with them, the cows are living on top of their own excretement, they are fed unnatural feed, probably injected with numerous chemicals, etc. There is a tremendous potential for contamination. Yet the govt entities allow it. The same with produce; I don't wish to purchase produce that has any chemicals added in any way. If I know a farmer uses chemicals, I don't do business with them.
As stated, just looking at the daries as the cause will close minds to searching out why just a few became ill. What is it about those immune systems that failed?
If the investigations show that the sanitary practices at the dairy are within whatever standards set, then what other blame will be placed on the milk? Of the hundreds of gallons of mik sold, only a handfull becomes ill. Why is that?
No one here has said there are no risks. There are risks in everything we do.
It appears that mass processing opens the doors to higher levels of contamination. Spinach, peppers, tomatoes,meats, poultry, etc are examples. Some people have reactions to peanuts---should they be banned also? They kill many.
However, I just got diagnosed pregnant, at 4 months along. My friends were talking about what needs to be done to ensure the health of the baby and one of the things that they all said, unanimously, is that I should stop with the raw milk, and switch to pasteurized. They pointed out the health risks of raw milk and we ended up having a rather vociferous arguement where I had to point out that most of the foods considered 'safe' have high risks - many higher than raw milk.
I know my supplier. I can go to the farm and talk to the cows if I am so inclined.
I'm lucky.
And the baby is going to get his/her/its raw milk in the mornings - mostly because it will help the immune system and partially because it's about the only thing that I can keep down in the mornings.
It's all about informed choices, knowing BOTH sides of the issue, and taking responsibility for any and all actions that you perform.
Thank you for the post, Mr. Gumpert.
I'm pregnant too and avoid, cook, or reheat all of the foods on the listeria list. I don't discriminate against any one in particular. It takes only a small dose of listeria crossing the placenta to end the pregnancy. There are many things I can live with but a miscarriage or (in a couple of weeks) a preterm baby because of a food decision is not one of them. I too find that dairy products go down easily and I have consumed a lot of yogurt as a result.
I have found that the world has a lot of food opportunities that don't make the listeria list.
Amanda