Think schools should serve organic milk? Speak out at a meeting in Oak Park tonight

January 22, 4:06 PMChicago Neighborhood ExaminerDana Kavan

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Organic milk versus the regular stuff: thoughts?

Gone are the days when parents trust the mystery-meat sloppy joes, tater tots and syrupy canned fruit dished out by school lunch ladies. More and more schools are ditching soda machines and offering up healthy choices for lunch, including some organic products. Going all organic is likely to be cost-prohibitive for most K-12s, but what if you could take one elementary school mainstay and swap it out for a hormone-free version? Food & Water Watch, and organization that works to hold the government accountable for protecting the quality and safety of the food and water supply, has launched the School Milk Campaign to ask Congress to fight for hormone-free milk in schools. 

According to Food & Water Watch's website: 

The federal nutrition programs are a major provider of milk to our nation’s school-age children. According to the National Milk Producers Federation, nearly 430 million gallons of milk were distributed through the National School Breakfast, Lunch, and Special Milk programs during the 2005-2006 school year. Unfortunately a significant amount of this milk may have been produced with artificial growth hormones.

While there is still some debate about the affects of milk from cows treated with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormones (or rBGH) on humans, Europe has banned American milk because it's genetically modified and numerous retailers, including Starbucks and Chipotle are now hormone-free. Even Wal-Mart is getting in on the action. Though the FDA has deemed the milk safe, some consumer groups, including the Center for Food Safety, are concerned that rBGH-treated milk can lead to an increase in cancer risk.

To kick-off Food & Water Watch's campaign for hormone-free milk in Chicagoland schools, which will be taking place over the next few months to gain community support, the organization is asking residents to fill out an online petition. It's also hosting a community meeting in Oak Park tonight:

When: Thursday January 22nd
Time: 7-8 p.m.
Where: Oak Park Maze Branch Public Library
845 Gunderson Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60304 (View a map here).