As a consumer advocate, however, I prefer that the whole truth be spoken about organic food, particularly animal products. It is important to recognize what exactly the label "Certified Organic" means when you're at the grocery store choosing between the gallon of milk for $2.50 vs. $6.00. Does organic mean that the animals are more humanely treated? Does organic mean more nutritious? Does organic mean safer? In a word, no.
In a survey study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2008, retail milk samples from organic, conventional, and rbST-free (recombinant bovine somatotropin) milk were collected from 48 states. Researchers tested the milk for quality (bacterial and antibiotic counts), nutritional value (fat, protein), and hormones. Surprisingly, conventionally labeled milk had significantly less estradiol and progresterone than organic milk. With regards to insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), organic milk did have less than both conventional and rbST-free milk. Organic milk had a slightly higher protein content (about 0.1%) compared to the other milks. Finally, conventionally labeled milk had the lowest bacterial counts compared to the others (1).
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the labeling of food products as organic with the National Organic Program. This program assures consumers that they are getting what they are paying for, similar to a nutrition or ingredient label. The USDA provides a list of allowable and prohibited substances (available online at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5068682&acct=nopgeninfo); but to put it simply, organic foods cannot contain ingredients which have been made using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic engineering, growth hormones, irradiation, or antibiotics. I can agree that it is desirable to reduce or eliminate the use of these products in the food industry. However, I believe there is a time and a place for one--antibiotics.
Under the current standards, if an organically raised animal suffers from a bacterial infection, it cannot be treated with antibiotics. The usage of antibiotics would result in a permanent loss of organic status of the animal. Dairy cows frequently develop mastitis, a condition where their udders become inflamed due to bacteria entering their teat. Mastitis is undoubtedly a painful condition and results in reduced milk production and quality. Organic producers will commonly use alternative therapies such as vitamin supplements to treat mastitis, but currently there are no products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that can be used for treatment of mastitis on organic dairy farms (2). Thus, animals may be left untreated when a simple round of antimicrobials would treat their condition, effectively reducing their pain and suffering. So, with regard to animal handling and welfare, an organic label does not guarantee humane treatment. In my opinion, antibiotics should not be an all or nothing commodity in the agricultural industry.
As consumers, we are trying to do the right thing with regard to the health of ourselves and our planet when we buy organic. Choosing organic helps reduce the amount of pesticides in our soil and water. It promotes biodiversity by using strategies such as crop rotation to improve the fertility of the soil instead of synthetic fertilizers. It is not a perfect solution, but unless consumers know that it's not perfect, they won't know to continue demanding better. Continually seek improvement and we will find it. So as to what to do the next time you're faced with the question of organic vs. conventional milk, take the time to find out more about the source. Buy local as often as possible and talk to them. Find out how they deal with bacterial infections in their dairy cows. They want to hear from you. After all, they are in the business of providing to you...they want to know what you think is important.
(1) Vicini, J., et al. "Survey of retail milk composition as affected by label claims regarding farm-management practices." J Am Diet Assoc, 108(7), 1198-203; 2008.
(2) Ruegg, P.L. "Management of mastitis on organic & conventional dairy farms." J Anim Sci, 1910. doi:10.2527/jas.2008-1217; 2008.
I LOVE your blog and I love the way you write...I do, however, feel that there are benefits to raw milk. If chosen carefully and by knowing one's sources, I can see that a consumer who wants to use raw milk and raw milk products in his or her diet can make a wise choice for their diet. I think that there are always two sides to a story and people should choose what works best for them. I have two recommendations:
ReplyDelete1. People who are interested should check out Windsor Dairy in Windsor, CO. It is a family run business of grass fed cows and the owners are both veterinarians.
2. There is a wonderful website with some interesting information about raw milk. It is:
http://www.rawmilktruth.com/
GREAT BLOG AND I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE!
Great commentary--appreciate the references!
ReplyDeleteI've spent my entire life directly connected to farming and ranching.
So, speaking from experience, many of the folks involved in the food, fiber and fuel "supply chains" are excited to serve healthy, wholesome food and quality products to consumers--afterall we're consumers too! To this point, your comment about producers wanting to hear from consumers is v. relevant.
I do think that all involved in agriculture--be it farmer, rancher and/or consumer--can help determine how we utilize and view agriculture in the future. It's important to take resposibility and:
1)do their research--most importantly put their critical thinking skills to use to get information from credible sources.
2)learn to dialogue vs. create a disconnect when communicating about issues. Too often, we're after the same objective, but are rarely willing to let our paths cross for mutual benefit and worthwhile discussions.
These approaches will be increasingly important in a world with a growing population that relies on human interaction and agriculture to sustain itself.
Afterall, in my opinion, we're all advocates for agriculture--whether one refers to it as 'no farm, no food', good land stewardship and husbandry, or simply just eating and clothing ourselves.
Thanks for taking time to start a blog and share your thoughts!
--Jemima :D