A lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office, seeking an injunction against Bechard Family Farm over the alleged sale of raw milk, has critics up in arms over what they see as government over-regulation.
According to the suit, on two separate occasions undercover state investigators watched as two young women sold a gallon each of raw milk in a Springfield parking lot. Mike Adams, the editor of NaturalNews.com, is irate at what he sees as unfair enforcement:
In case you're not yet sure what you're reading here, note carefully that these daughters were not caught selling crack, meth or crank. They weren't dealing second-hand pharmaceuticals to yuppie school kids. They weren't selling e.coli-contaminated hamburger meat, cancer-causing diet sodas (made with aspartame) or canned soups laced with MSG. They weren't even selling broiler chickens contaminated with salmonella -- just as you can find in every grocery store in America. Nope, they were selling raw milk. You know, the bovine mother's milk, unpasteurized, unprocessed, non-homogenized and wholly pure, natural and innocent. The stuff America was raised on. The stuff your parents fed you when you were a kid, if your family was lucky enough to have a cow.
The tension between existing laws that fail to cover family farm
operations and a burgeoning locavore movement continues across Missouri. In Kansas City, neighbors have complained and city officials have accused Bad
Seed Farm of violating zoning laws. It appears the law hasn't caught up to the reality of
both urban agriculture and small rural operations.
The Springfield News-Leader has written an editorial opposing the lawsuit, arguing, in effect, that this case requires a conversation rather than a court date:
If health officials or the Missouri State Milk Board want to establish broader rules for licensing, inspection and delivery of this product, they should make their case to supportive lawmakers. If they can't, then operations like the Bechards need to be left alone.
It's cases like these that will determine what local food and food safety laws look like in Missouri. The Bechard family and others like them are unfortunately the test subjects.
[Image via Flickr: kthread]
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I am not a resident of Missouri but I will make the following comment. Chris Koster Atty General suit against the Bechard family is the result of having idiots in Government. It is okay for them to line their own pockets and get ahead by not working or producing or giving anything worthwhile to the people of their state, community, or country.
A move to remove the attorney general and others would be support by the farmers and people who's back these people get their salaries.
We need someone in the State legislature and perhaps the Tea Party to get this removal and change under way.
Do everything you can to start with this and take by our country. Please Make it an issue.
I have been drinking Raw milk for the past year. I have atleast 3 gallons a week... and I get it illegally!
Come get me Government!
okay abe, you say that the journalist is a derp? Have you ever had Raw Milk? I have had it for the past year, and had no problem! It was also Female Colostrum Milk! Raw Milk contains the natural Probiotics that pasturized milk kills. Without the probiotics you become Lactos intolerent! DUH people WAKE UP!! Okay so if you aren't educated about raw milk don't dag on in!! The FDA wants you to believe that raw milk is bad because they can't patent it! DUH!! I've gotten food poisoning from Pasturized milk! I have never had an issue with raw milk and I left it out over night unrefrigerated for a day and still drank the raw milk and was JUST FINE!! Big government cooperations just want another dollar and they can't get it if local farms are actually earning a living! I think that if people opened their eyes and actually read the stuff that they do to food now it's sickening! Trade safety for chemicals and fake crap! Synthetic instead of natural? Raw Milk has been known to aid in curing Autism. Raw Food in general is better! Why do you think Europeans are so Tall, Healthy, Lean, Happy! They aren't pumped with artificial crap and hormones! I feel sorry for people who pump themselves full of DEAD MILK. I will never drink that milk again. So for those who are against it follow the lemming and continue to take advantage of your freedoms!
So it's legal for me to go eat raw seafood in a restaurant, it's legal for me to smoke cigarettes, it's legal for me buy and eat raw spinach or tomatoes (didn't they both have recent outbreaks of salmonella) but according to the gov't I shouldn't be drinking raw milk because it might not be safe. Nothing is 100% safe all the time. Let me decide what is safe for me. You don't think raw milk is safe? Then don't drink it. Final thought: next time it might be something you do eat or drink that the gov't deems "unsafe," don't you want to decide for yourself?
Buying (meat, eggs, raw milk, vegetables, fruit) from your local family farm is the way to go. Establish a relationship with your farmer, know what the animals are fed and how the animals are cared for, and get to know the animals and the farm routine. Only then will you have confidence in your food supply. I would rather buy/find my food this way, than go to the supermarket where I know nothing about where and how the food is produced. Doesn't this make a lot of sense?
It's important to know why and how E. coli 0157 gets is start. We need to improve the diet (should be free foraging, grass fed) of this nation's cattle in order to improve the health of our nation's citizens.
"Ruminant animals are reservoirs of the pathogenic bacteria E. coli O157:H7 and approximately 30% of feedlot cattle shed E. coli O157:H7. Feedlot and high-producing dairy cattle are fed high grain rations in order to increase feed efficiency. When cattle are fed high grain rations, some starch escapes ruminal microbial degradation and passes to the hindgut where it is fermented by bacteria. Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that populations of total E. coli were higher in grain-fed than in forage-fed cattle. When cattle were abruptly switched from a high grain diet to an all hay diet, total E. coli populations declined 1000-fold within 5 d. This research provoked many questions about the effects of diet on E. coli O157:H7 populations that have not been conclusively answered after 10 years. Subsequent studies showed that diet does affect E. coli O157:H7, but effects have been varied in magnitude and impact. Rapidly ruminally fermented grain, such as barley, have been shown to increase the shedding of E. coli O157:H7, and distillers grains can significantly increase fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7. Further studies have indicated that the impact of forage feeding on E. coli O157:H7 populations may be based upon concentrations of tannins and phenolic acids in forages. Data from researchers across North America indicate that diet does impact STEC/EHEC populations in cattle prior to slaughter. However, the economic, logistic, and practical impacts of dietary changes must be examined and accounted for." ~ 2009. Diet, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and cattle, a review after 10 years
Callaway, Todd et al.
"The farmer could be nicest guy in the world but that's not going to stop dangerous microorganisms from living inside of a cow and coming out through the milk."
Incorrect. The farmer being a good guy, and thus taking good care of his animals, making sure they are pastured and thus fed appropriately, does stop dangerous microorganisms from living inside the cow. Healthy cows which are fed a proper diet, ie grass, give healthy milk.
I am currently breastfeeding my youngest. What temperature do you recommend I boil my breasts before each feeding? Seems silly, doesn't it?
The bechard's are in full compliance withthe law. The Ag is imposing a prohibition that does not exist in the law. He is also involved in illegal rule making, as well as being arbitrary and capricious.
Missouri's politicians are just like all the rest - bought and paid-for whores for big business. This is only surprising to people who haven't been paying attention.
I just drank a gallon of Greenwood Farms Jersey Girl raw milk for the first time last week. Delish.
45 outbreaks of foodborne pathogens carried in raw milk in 6 years, says the CDC. OK. But looking at individual states might give MO a clearer picture about how to proceed re raw milk.
In a big state like California, for example, where raw milk can be legally retailed, there have been only a handful of outbreaks since 1985, according to MarlerBlog (a noted anti-raw milk website).
http://www.marlerblog.com/uplo...
Furthermore, it looks to me like most of the states that have suffered numerous outbreaks are states where raw milk is actually illegal for retail sale (Pennsylvania, Colorado, etc). Is prohibition doing its job?
Rather than cracking down to enforce a prohibition that doesn't work, it might be better to look at states that DO sell raw milk but have few/no pathogenic outbreaks from raw milk, and determine why that might be, eh?
Crazy, isn't it? This AG is letting Ajinomoto get away with murder....Ajinomoto's products, Monosodium glutamate and aspartame are proven deadly and poisonous. Questions? Just google and read this article by title:
RUMSFELD'S BIOWEAPON LEGACY.
Stephen Fox, Founder, New Millennium Fine Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Well, thank the good Lord I have my own Jersey cow. I milk her. I do not sell the milk; my husband, his sister, and any guests who come to our house drink it. But something tells me that one of these days Big Brother is going to tell me I can't even drink milk from my own cow. Please, let me make my own decisions about what I will consume!
I think I feel a blog post coming on.
Abe quote: "That's funny he mentions e. coli beef and salmonella laced chicken considering raw milk has a history of of being contaminated with both. The difference is at least with the meat you can cook it to a high enough temperature (160 and 165F respectively) to kill any potential bacteria. That's why normal milk is pasteurized, derp."
So beef and chicken should also not be sold raw either?
Also I want to say the fact that it's raw is just one of many ways that the milk is of higher quality: grass-fed, Jersey cow breed has better A-2 beta-casein than Holstein, fewer number of animals' milk commingled in the holding tank, not driven from producer to processor via tanker truck reduces cleaning solvent and impurity content, milk not separated into milkfat and nonfat milk, then recombined at standardized milkfat percentage, not homogenized, no added ingredients: no carageenan, no crystalline cellulose, no manufactured Vitamin A or UV-radiated lanolin from New Zealand lambswool, and no melamine-laced Chinese nonfat milk solids added.
It's not about whether or not you trust the farmer. The farmer could be nicest guy in the world but that's not going to stop dangerous microorganisms from living inside of a cow and coming out through the milk.
I call regulatory BS on the whole mess. You are supposedly protected by the food regulators who have their pockets lined by the slick corporate farming industry and yet you cry foul on the farmer who milked the cow and brought the milk to the farmer's market. This is no back alley operation out of the trunk of a car. Let's see here: Do I trust the carton of organic spinach that has changed hands no less than a half dozen times, including the hands of the poor migrant farm worker who had to take a shat in the field because they don't get bathrooms or a break to do so OR do I trust the single person responsible for the extraction and transport of said raw milk? Rational thought has escaped the American public and perhaps the world. Yes, Jeff, I would want venison shot by a local hunter rather than a steak of dubious origins, likely a contained feeding operation.
Would anyone want to eat a deer that was shot by a local hunter if it was on a restaurant menu? Hell no, do the math. It's illegal for food safety reason and other reason. If you ain't raising the cow and know where the milk has been since it left the teat then leave it the hell alone.
I am only responsible for the food supply for 2 people and if I feel like drinking raw milk and know where to get it I will do so when I feel like it. However,it seems disproportionate that they suddenly concentrated on something that causes 4% of the outbreaks while the other 96% are still still out there. It's not like you can run into raw milk by accident, you have to actually look for it.
"Anyone seeking out raw milk surely knows the risk of illness and is willing to accept it."
That seems like a pretty big generalization. People gobble up acai berry and go on detox diets because they've just heard it's good for them from dubious sources; the same could apply to raw milk. I don't think it's fair to assume people would know the health risks inherently.
As for "if it's regulated it must be safe"
"During 1973--1992, 40 (87%) of 46 raw
milk-associated outbreaks occurred in the 28 states that permitted the intrastate sale of raw milk"
http://archives.foodsafety.ksu...
"I had raw milk many times when I was a kid and everyone I knew did too. recently my kid had a chance to try it and said it was the best milk she ever tried and she doesn't even like milk."
So because you've had positive personal experiences with raw milk, it makes it 100% ok to drink? Why have you not been hired by the FDA or surgeon general? Taste has absolutely nothing to do with the safety of a product. E. Coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, etc. are not spoilage pathogens so they do not give foul odors or tastes. And yes, beef, chicken and other meats cause more illnesses every year than raw milk because many more people eat meat compared to raw milk and many people under cook their meat because they say it tastes better or are misinformed about what characterizes "doneness". I cannot present hard data as many of my sources are from papers that require paid access to view them. However here are some links to abstracts.
http://www.liebertonline.com/d...
http://archives.foodsafety.ksu...
"In a recent review of E. coli O157 infections, raw milk products accounted for 4% of outbreaks during a 20-year period (4). E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for an estimated 73,000 cases of illness annually, and serious sequelae, including HUS and death"
So which 2920(73K*4%) people deserved to get sick because SOME people enjoy the taste of raw milk
If you want to own a cow, milk it, and drink it straight then by all means do so, but to sell raw milk out of the back of a car like moonshine is something that needs to be stopped and controlled. And to subject your kids to it because of your personal opinions(those of which are not based on scientific evidence) on it is downright criminal.
Anyone seeking out raw milk surely knows the risk of illness and is willing to accept it. If you have an option to drink non-pasteurized juices and organic foods, why not raw milk? Dairy farmers are already getting hosed by milk wars as it is, leave them alone.
From the Federal Government paid for by taxpayers monies and from State funds from Ohio: PDF
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/C...
"According to Ohio State University food safety expert Jeff LeJeune over the past ten years there has averaged less than 200 confirmed or suspected cases of illness from raw milk consumption in the U.S. For comparison, there is about 70 million cases of illness from contaminated food in general in the U.S."
I call BS -
outbreaks of illnesses,pain and suffering caused by these products vs. milk. also it's a known fact that American cheeses are inferior to European because of pasteurization requirments, check any taste testing published in Cooks Illustrated and others.I wouldn't buy raw milk from anyone on the parking lot,but I have no problem drinking it if I know who produced it and when
"would esteemed commenter #1 bother to provide data let's say for ground beef, chicken or eggs"
Data regarding...?
this is idiotic, I had raw milk many times when I was a kid and everyone I knew did too. recently my kid had a chance to try it and said it was the best milk she ever tried and she doesn't even like milk.it's about knowing the source. would esteemed commenter #1 bother to provide data let's say for ground beef, chicken or eggs.btw I can't stand foodies,locavores and other pricks,but as the quote in the article pointed out maybe the government should be busy doing other things,like fix potholes or whatever they do.
That's funny he mentions e. coli beef and salmonella laced chicken considering raw milk has a history of of being contaminated with both. The difference is at least with the meat you can cook it to a high enough temperature (160 and 165F respectively) to kill any potential bacteria. That's why normal milk is pasteurized, derp.
I wish journalists would do their research instead of just yelling their personal opinions and experiences as fact. All it took was a quick google search to find:
"The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that from 1998 to May of 2005, there were 45 outbreaks that implicated unpasteurized milk, or cheese made from unpasteurized milk. These outbreaks accounted for 1,007 illnesses, 104 hospitalizations, and two deaths. Recent research investigations have shown that raw milk may contain a diverse array of pathogenic microorganisms (e.g. Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, Mycobacterium, Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, and others)."
But the detractors will just say "don't trust the government"
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