Raw Milk-Its all about Politics

[Roy Costa]

Finally we get some truth from Westin Price, in thier minds its all about economics and not about public health, but its really about politics. We see that clearly. Again the legal community is playing the enforcer role, its the American way I guess. You just pay somebody and do what you want. WP needs to pay big time.

Sally Fallon Morell and the Weston A. Price Foundation, you better get a very good lawyer - and lots of insurance

Posted by Bill Marler on May 16, 2011 .

 

The National Journal reported on the “Moo-in” in Washington D. C. where Morgan the cow held court. It looked like all had fun poking fun at the FDA and touting the taste and alleged benefits of raw milk. However, this quote (which I hope someone has on tape) was really quite shocking:

Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, said the laws against raw milk crossing state lines have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with economics.

“Children who start out on raw milk are very healthy children," she said. "They don’t have asthma, they don’t have allergies, they don’t miss days at school, they don’t get sick, and they don’t have digestive problems. Raw milk is a magic food, and we are here to defend that magic food.”

“Magic food, “ Really? Sally, you need to “lawyer-up.” The next family who relies on your words, and the Foundation’s website, and their kid becomes ill after drinking raw milk, you will have a problem.

Roy E Costa R.S., M.S.(M.B.A.)
Public Health Sanitarian and Consultant
Environ Health Associates, Inc.
1.877.734.5187
skype: environ.health.associates
rco...@cfl.rr.com
www.haccptraining.org
www.safefoods.tv
www.HACCPprinciples.com
www.safefoodsblog.com
 

[Aqu...@aol.com]

I don't care to debate the merits of the Weston Price Foundation, but I do see a double standard in the food industry. There is pathogen free raw milk and pathogen laden raw milk. The same applies to many meat sourced products.

 

Granted, raw milk is not cooked before consuming, but how many illnesses have there been from cross contamination and improper cooking in the raw meat sector? I don't see the chicken and beef industry touting the health benefits of meat and adding huge disclaimers in the ad stating that raw meat is loaded with pathogens. Is it the raw meat package labeling that provides the cya?

 

Should raw milk carry the same labeling in order to make health claims and have the necessary disclaimers?

 

If a chef touts the benefits of a food that people may become ill from eating, should the chef be liable?

 

If WPF added a disclaimer that contaminated raw milk can make you sick but that clean raw milk is healthy, would that get them off the hook?

 

Alan Ismond, P.Eng.
Aqua-Terra Consultants

 

In a message dated 5/16/2011 5:39:23 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, roye...@hotmail.com writes:

Finally we get some truth from Westin Price, in thier minds its all about economics and not about public health, but its really about politics. We see that clearly. Again the legal community is playing the enforcer role, its the American way I guess. You just pay somebody and do what you want. WP needs to pay big time.

Sally Fallon Morell and the Weston A. Price Foundation, you better get a very good lawyer - and lots of insurance

Posted by Bill Marler on May 16, 2011 .

 

The National Journal reported on the “Moo-in” in Washington D. C. where Morgan the cow held court. It looked like all had fun poking fun at the FDA and touting the taste and alleged benefits of raw milk. However, this quote (which I hope someone has on tape) was really quite shocking:

Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, said the laws against raw milk crossing state lines have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with economics.

“Children who start out on raw milk are very healthy children," she said. "They don’t have asthma, they don’t have allergies, they don’t miss days at school, they don’t get sick, and they don’t have digestive problems. Raw milk is a magic food, and we are here to defend that magic food.”

“Magic food, “ Really? Sally, you need to “lawyer-up.” The next family who relies on your words, and the Foundation’s website, and their kid becomes ill after drinking raw milk, you will have a problem.

Roy E Costa R.S., M.S.(M.B.A.)
Public Health Sanitarian and Consultant
Environ Health Associates, Inc.
1.877.734.5187
skype: environ.health.associates
rco...@cfl.rr.com
www.haccptraining.org
www.safefoods.tv
www.HACCPprinciples.com
www.safefoodsblog.com
 

--
You received this message because you subscribed to the "Foodsafe" group.
To post to this group, send email to Foodsa...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to Foodsafe-lis...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Foodsafe-list?hl=en
If you're having problems with the list, contact Cindy Roberts at foodsa...@gmail.com

[Roy Costa]

Hi Alan:
 
The problem is, there is no validated method of producing "clean" raw milk. If there was, I would tend to agree with you. The raw milk advocates believe EHEC, Salmonella, Listeria are good for you-it makes us healthy-its the very worst outcome of the hygiene hypothesis.
 
As we can see, to these folks its all about politics and economics, not public health, they admit that. And according to Bill Marler, there is liability when recommending a product with known risks but not disclosing those risks and simply misleading people for economic gain. The disclaimer would perhaps deal with the negligence part of it, but labels do not make food safe. There needs to be a very stringent sanitary production method to keep feces out of raw milk. One would have to physically isolate the cow's vital parts and create a sterile field during milking, and then 3-A standards need development for processing. No one is talking like this.
 
It sounds funny, but this might be achievable with some experimentation and innovation.
 
But we have some very unreasonable people in the raw milk industry, and too many politicos willing to jump on the band wagon for nothing more than political reasons, and science has gone out the window in the discussion.
 
A lawsuit against WP would bring all of it into the limelight. However, if WP prevailed, it would be disastrous for PH.
 
In our culture, tragic consequences are often what causes us to rethink a behavior. But, we don't need another poster child, and this is what all of us in PH fear and try to prevent.
 
I have been arguing for addressing the economic incentive that drives dairy farmers in this direction. The big CO-OP diaries have punished the small dairy. It now takes over 200 head to break even, 400 head to make a small income. Economies of scale have pushed the independent dairy farmer to the brink. We need a new economic model for sure, but raw milk is just not acceptable as a commodity sitting on the shelf at Publix or Wal-Mart. So it is not the answer.
 
Raw milk I believe is the most complicated and unresolved issue we have in food safety today. I used to think it was raw shellfish, but this tops it.

 
Roy E Costa R.S., M.S.(M.B.A.)
Public Health Sanitarian and Consultant
Environ Health Associates, Inc.
1.877.734.5187
skype: environ.health.associates
rco...@cfl.rr.com
www.haccptraining.org
www.safefoods.tv
www.HACCPprinciples.com
www.safefoodsblog.com
 



 

---

From: Aqu...@aol.com
Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 00:31:14 -0400
Subject: Re: [Foodsafe] Raw Milk-Its all about Politics
To: roye...@hotmail.com; foodsa...@googlegroups.com