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Do American consumers have a right to access healthy, raw, nutritious,
natural foods from local growers and purveyors? Not according
to the FDA. Photo: Courtesy Claravale Dairy
Are raw, living foods sourced from safe local producers better for your health and immune systems than processed, genetically modified, pasteurized, homogenized, or irradiated foods?
Do you have a right to decide for yourself, and to choose healthy, raw, nutritious, natural foods from local growers and purveyors?
Take raw milk as an example. Since California established the nation's most stringent raw milk standards, more and more people are consuming raw dairy products. Many of those people tout what they view as raw milk's beneficial properties. They claim that raw milk and cultured raw dairy products help to relieve symptoms of allergies, asthma, arthritis, and other digestive issues, including symptoms of celiac disease.
Speaking from my own experience, after switching to raw dairy about six months ago, my hay fever has disappeared, my nose is never stuffed up any more, my stomach loves me, and I have never felt better. Moreover, my nephew suffers from classic milk allergy. If he drinks milk, his mouth swells up and he has to take an antihistamine. Recently, after witnessing the disappearance of my own allergies, and after reading that raw milk is hypoallergenic, we took the plunge and had him drink a glass. mom anxiously waited to see if he would have an allergic reaction. He had none. Nothing. Felt fine. Since then, I've been treated like the wise uncle. But enough of my story.
Raw milk is also rich in natural probiotics such as bifidobacteria, which along with prebiotics, have been shown to reduce inflammation and lessen symptoms in people with celiac disease and associated inflammatory conditions.
For example, a team of European researchers recently demonstrated that dietary probiotics and prebiotics can improve quality of life for people with celiac and associated conditions, such as type 1 diabetes and some autoimmune disorders. Their results offer some of the strongest support for the idea that eating foods rich in probiotics and/or prebiotics, such as raw milk, yogurt, and kefir can help a number of patients with celiac disease reduce inflammation and lessen symptoms of celiac disease.
However, the rights of consumers to access foods on their own terms are under assault from powerful agribusiness and food manufacturers through their influence over the FDA. The Farm-to-consumer legal defense fund summarizes the FDA position on consumer food rights as follows:
*Consumers have no absolute right to any raw unprocessed food, unless the FDA says it’s okay
*There’s no right to good health, except as approved by the FDA
*There’s no right for citizens to contract privately for their food
That's right, according to the FDA, we have no right to contract with a farmer to grow or produce food outside of FDA approval and control. Approval and control that is heavily influenced by major industrial producers.
These and other issues regarding raw milk and other raw foods are the subject of a recent Mercola.com interview with Mark A. McAfee, owner of Organic Pastures Dairy. McAfee was instrumental in resisting attempts by big dairy interests to prohibit raw milk, and in pushing lawmakers to establish the nation's highest raw milk standards here in California. The article talks about the quality and standards for raw milk, and instructs consumers in what to look for when searching out raw dairy products.
A growing number of people who believe that raw, living foods provide health and immune benefits are organizing to fight what many regard as an assault on the commercial viability of these foods and their producers by major food manufacturers.
Many people who currently enjoy access to raw, living, biodynamic foods from local, sustainable growers and purveyors are concerned about what they see as an FDA that is using laws targeted at major manufacturers to obstruct, restrict, and prohibit small farmers and food purveyors, especially of raw, living, natural foods such as dairy, almonds, juices, eggs, etc.
Regarding raw milk, McAfee points out that only six states presently permit the retail sale of raw milk: California, Connecticut, Maine, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Arizona. However, it’s important to realize that each state sets their own standards. California, specifically, has its own special set of standards for raw milk for human consumption, in which farmers must meet or exceed pasteurized milk standards, without pasteurizing.
You can find raw milk retailers in California by using the store locator available at Organic Pastures. For other areas, check out the Campaign for Real Milk Web site. You can also look here to find out the legal status of raw milk in the U.S. state or country where you live.
Bay Area consumers may buy raw dairy and other probiotic, biodynamic foods at: Rainbow Grocery; Falletti's; Molly Stone's; Berkeley Bowl; and The Foodmill in Oakland.
People who want to learn more about the campaign for raw milk access may read about it at RealMilk.com, or OrganicPastures.com:
Consumers may learn more about supporting farm to consumer foods, including raw milk by accessing the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Other helpful raw milk links:
Raw versus conventional farming, production standards and practices, and safety; Raw milk test results; Great comprehensive science article on raw vs. organic vs. conventional milk.
From moms:
http://trintje.blogspot.com/2009/12/weird-wednesday-spilling-truth-about.html
http://hartkeisonline.com/2009/03/05/california-raw-dairy-consumer-works-to-defend-raw-dairy-farms/
SOURCE: The research team in the study on prebiotic and probiotic bacteria and celiac disease, included G. De Palma, J. Cinova, R. Stepankova, L. Tuckova and Y. Sanz. They are affiliated with the Microbial Ecology and Nutrition Group of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA) at the National Spanish Research Council (CSIC) in Valencia, Spain; and the Institute of Microbiology in the Department of Immunology at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague. A summary of the study can be found at Celiac.com. The full study can be found in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.
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Comments
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This article is a prime example of science denial. In you first paragraph you refer to "genetically modified, pasteurized, homogenized, or irradiated foods" as if these processes represent some imminent danger to humanity. However, all of these processes are the pillars of the scientific health revolution that allows you to live to see you grandparents live well into their 70's and 80's.
The supporting arguments given for this article are equally appalling. You mention that, “Speaking from my own experience, after switching to raw dairy about six months ago, my hay fever has disappeared, my nose is never stuffed up any more, my stomach loves me, and I have never felt better.", great, replace rigorous evidence based science with a clinical trial that has one subject who is incredibly sway to confirmation bias. Good-bye science based medicine, hello to the future of health, the sacred placebo.
Jonathan, if you would like to see some research as opposed to an anecdotal evidence, look up the Weston A Price foundation. They have researched raw milk extensively. I run a raw milk page on facebook with over 6,000 fans - search facebook.com/findrawmilk and I also run the Utah Alliance for Raw Milk at facebook.com/ut.arm Check it out to learn more about raw milk and where you can find it in your area.
Thanks for this!
we switched to raw milk as well. we went froma toddler that was screaming trough the night, all nights, waking up 10 times, other times 20. constipated, gassy, fussy, to an instant happy child that has been sleeping 8 hrs straight from the second, third night on raw milk. the child does not know her milk has been switched and placebo is out of the question. if interested in facts and research there is plenty and for those interested...available online
Jonathan, our parents and grandparents live in their 80-th because they grew up on raw milk. All raw milk ban madness has started a couple of decades ago, and today's generation of kids will most likely have the lifespan shorter than their parents - thanks to what you call "health revolution" of modern foods. And following FDA's logic they should also ban raw meat, fish and other products as they represent even higher danger than raw milk if consumed in a wrong way! Sounds grazy, doesn't it?
Jonathan, do you have any scientific evidence that genetically modified foods are OK? No, you DO NOT, and neither does Monsanto, the primary seller of GMO seeds to farmers - and the number of former Monsanto employees who have sat (and still DO sit) on the FDA represents a HUGE conflict of interest.
All the processes you describe as "pillars" of the scientific health revolution are killing our food, killing our health, and the FDA who approves them is denying US citizens the right to decide what kinds of foods they want because our foods ARE NOT labelled GMO as they are in Europe.
Learn the FACTS before you jump on those of us who at least want a CHOICE.
This can become a heated platform if we all believed we are what we eat, think and drink. I dont need a Dr. to tell me an orange is good for me.. Science only tells us the fraction of one percent they know.. not ALL the rest they dont. Raw foods do the work in the body, dead food causes the body to work itself to exaustion and disease. These are deposits vrs withdrawls... Healthcare should be called "Sickcare" and limited to emergency medicine before its inflated prices bankrupt our economy. Thank God they cant patent nature.. it belongs to the people. Nature is complex so we dont have to be. Granted, americans are lazy and want everything NOW. Stop fighting disease and start embracing health.. Nothing works like raw foods! Nothing..If god made it , eat it.. IF man made it , leave it alone, or in moderation! Precriptions or these so called "weapons or war against disease" have become friendly fire and the third leading cause of death..thats right! properly prescribed meds.keepitsimple
Great info. I have been drinking raw milk for years, which freaks people out because I have been nursing and/or pregnant for most of that time. What?? Consume raw dairy while pregnant? Yessirree and I am healthier than I have been in years!
Raw milk and organic foods (like clean water and air) is a human RIGHT.
Sadly...
Whole Foods will no longer carry raw milk, nationwide as of March 13, 2010
You can take Action through the Organic Consumer Association's Raw Milk campaign - organicconsumers(dot)org(forward slash)raw-milk
Thanks for writing a heartfelt, informative article. I loved it so much, I linked to it on my Examiner article for a delicious fall spiced smoothie!
Here's the link: www.examiner.com/healthy-food-in-new-york/recipe-delicious-nutritious-fa...
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