Organic milk and cream

Anyone who visits a reputable organic dairy farm will begin to appreciate that the quality and taste of milk, cream, and other products is largely determined by the living conditions of the animals, particularly their access to healthy pasture. Cows have a complex digestive system which enables them to process and absorb nutrients from fibrous plant material like grass, dandelion, and clover. Milk obtained from grass fed cows is particularly rich in important vitamins and minerals.

Under normal dietary conditions, the fat content of cows milk is determined largely by the breed and the time of year. Jersey cows produce moderate quantities of milk with a high proportion of buttermilk compared to Fresian and Holstein cows, which provide large volumes of milk with relatively low buttermilk content. With pasture fed cows, the milk tends to be creamier and also contains a higher proportion of linoleic acid during the spring and autumn.

Linoleic is one of the essential fatty acids which assist cells to maintain their protective barrier and function normally. Research from Britain and Denmark has compared the nutrient compositions of organic and conventionally produced milk. Many of the recent studies have disputed claims that the nutrient composition of organic milk is essentially equivalent to conventional. For example, Danish scientists found organic milk to be significantly higher in vitamin E and beta carotene. Three independent research bodies in Britain confirmed the presence of higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in organic milk (Ellis et al, 2006).

Intensive dairy production

In many parts of the world, traditional methods of dairy production have been replaced by intensive systems which aim to increase the total volume of milk supplied. Among the more unpleasant examples of intensive farming is dairy production without access to pasture. Unfortunate cows are restricted to artificial feedlots, or cages. Their natural, herbivorous grazing is replaced by a controlled diet of high protein mixtures, euphemistically described as cattle cake. A protein rich diet accelerates the cow’s metabolism, enabling them to produce larger quantities of milk each day. Depending on supplies, cattle cake contains basic grains like wheat, barley, rice, and oats plus alfalfa, and soy meal.

During the nineties, controversy surrounded revelations that intensively reared beef and dairy cattle were given rendered feeds containing animal proteins like fish meal along with recycled beef and sheep carcasses. Many of the high volume dairy operators refuse to blame rendered protein feeds with sudden outbreaks of disease.

Growth hormones and antibiotics

There is also substantial industry support for the use of synthetic growth hormone, and antibiotic treatments. In states which authorise its use, dairy cattle may be given synthetic growth hormone as a means to increase normal milk production by approximately fifteen percent. The negative side effects on cattle include reproductive difficulties and an increased incidence of udder infection which usually requires antibiotic treatment. In terms of the qualitative effect on milk, growth hormones increase normal levels of growth factor. At present, there is ongoing debate about the potential for increased levels of growth factor to adversely influence human health.

In dairy cattle, antibiotics are primarily used to treat udder and hoof infections. On occasions, weanling calves will be administered sub therapeutic levels of an antibiotic to enhance their growth and development.

Unlike poultry and beef, milk products are routinely tested for antibiotic contamination and those with detectable levels are immediately removed from distribution. In reality, this is not enforced because of concerns for human health but rather because antibiotics prevent the manufacture of important food items such as yoghurt and cheeses, by destroying their bacterial cultures.

If traces of antibiotic are unlikely to be present in the milk supply, what are the consumer groups and medical scientists worried about? Their concern is that routine use of these medications in farmed animals is creating new strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Once established in significant colonies, resistant strains have the capacity to infect humans. The illnesses caused by infectious agents like salmonella and listeria are increasingly difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics. The lack of regular treatment options can have serious implications for infants, the elderly, and patients with compromised immune function.

At the present time, organically certified milk and cream products constitute only a small fraction of total milk sales by volume (Hill & Lynchehaun, 2002). Interestingly, a lot of the organic milk is currently being sold to upmarket coffee houses where it is used in latte, cappuccino, and other drinks.

Consumer preferences

Health conscious consumers generally prefer their milk to have low saturated fat content, less than two percent. There is also some evidence that consumers prefer the appearance and taste of homogenised milk.

During the homogenisation process, milk is forced through micro strainers under pressure. This causes solid fat particles to break apart resulting in an even dispersion throughout the liquid.  Organic producers often refuse to homogenise their milk, meaning that the fat will rise naturally to the top as cream. Don’t confuse homogenisation with pasteurisation, which involves heating the milk to inhibit the growth of bacteria. Organic dairy producers are obliged to pasteurise their milk in compliance with current health and safety standards.

Raw milk

Some health gurus and food writers like to preach the benefits of raw milk which is unpasteurised. Aside from being banned from sale in many states, you’d want to be certain that the cows were scrupulously healthy and the extraction and bottling procedures were conducted hygienically. It’s true that raw milk was widely consumed one hundred years ago but there was also a lower life expectancy and many deaths related to contaminated foods. If you insist on drinking raw milk, have a word with your doctor beforehand.
 

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Published on February 7th, 2008.
Filed in sub-topic, Dairy & Eggs.