Raw Milk vs. Organic Milk vs. Everyday milk
So something that has been a bit confusing to me is the difference between types of milk; Raw Milk vs. "Organic Milk" vs. Everyday Milk. Raw milk is unprocessed and un-homogenized hence the term "raw" or untouched. I always see "Organic Milk" at grocery stores like Stoneyfield etc. these milk's are "ultra pasteurized". And I have come to a question that I would love some insight on. In my opinion, I believe Raw milk is superior because I do believe pasteurizing kills nutrients as well as pathogens. Leaving the milk inferior to its unpasteurized cousin. My question is where do normal milk and "Organic" milk stack up? If normal milk is pasteurized and organic milk is ultra pasteurized wouldn't that fact alone lead you to believe that normal milk may be superior than store brands claims of organic products being "superior"?
The process of pasteurization is a technique where a liquid is heated and cooled down to slow the process of it spoiling and reducing the amount of pathogens to prevent disease. So normal milk is pasteurized (TG lee, Wal mart brand, etc.), Organic milk is ultra pasteurized, and raw milk is unpasteurized. Ultra pasteurization uses higher temperatures than normal pasteurization thus killing more micro-organisms. The main argument here is that Pro-raw milk people claim that ultra pasteurization and pasteurization kills eassential nutrients in the process itself.
Milk that is pasteurized is milk is pasteurized through the technique HTST (High Temperature, Short Time). The US Department of Health and Human services stated in it's "Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance" that in the HTST process, milk is forced between metal plates or through pipes heated on the outside by hot water, and is heated to 72°C (161°F) for 15 seconds. And on the side of Ultra Pasteurization the process used is called "UHT" or Ultra Heat Treated. This process holds the milk at a temperature of 138°C (280°F) for a minimum of two seconds. Organic Milks have the Organic label and Ultra-pasteurized label which use the UHT method where as the cheaper brands are just pasteurized and used the HTST method.
According to www.realmilk.com, "Raw milk contains many components that kill pathogens and strengthen the immune system. These include lacto-peroxidase, lacto-ferrin, anti-microbial components of blood (leukocytes, B-macrophages, neutrophils, T-lymphocytes, immunoglobulins and antibodies), special carbohydrates (polysaccharides and oligosaccharides), special fats (medium chain fatty acids, phospholipids and spingolipids), complement enzymes, lysozyme, hormones, growth factors, mucins, fibronectin, glycomacropeptide, beneficial bacteria, bifidus factor and B12-binding protein." This is a directly opposing view of how pro-pasteurization views the topic but to me sounds correct. I took quite a few Nutrition courses and always thought that yes pasteurization kills pathogens but kills nutrients as well.
At the end of the day, considering this information, which is better? Organic milk or Store brand milk? I can obtain raw milk but have to claim it is for "animal consumption" as that is what the law here states. I want to make the switch but want to hear about the Organic vs. Normal. Cheers bros.
Works Cited
"Home: THE FACTS ABOUT REAL RAW MILK" http://www.realmilk.com
Terri Peterson Smith (31 August 2010). "Got E. coli? Raw Milk's Appeal Grows Despite Health Risks". Scientific American.
"Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance 2009 Revision". US Dept of Health and Human Services.
Montville, T. J., and K. R. Matthews: "food microbiology an introduction", page 30. American Society for Microbiology Press, 2005.
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I'm lactose intollerant but can drink raw milk because the beneficial digestive enzymes are still present. My family owns a dairy so I have unlimited access to the stuff. Unfortunately, I just really don't like milk.
Thanks for the response man. If you don't mind me asking, what is your family's view on raw milk? And what do you think of pasteurization, and how it affects the quality of it?
It definitely lowers the quality and makes it harder for many people to digest. But it's a neccesary part of insuring shelf life and freshness for the general consumers. You can pasteurize raw milk at home and retain more of the nutrients because the milk is still in its pure state. Milk we buy at the store has been skimmed of the cream and much of the butter fat to be used to make other products like cheese. Our heard is predominately Jersey cows which produce a higher butter far percentage than that of other breeds such as holsteins. I let my kids drink it straight out of the tank. The milk is picked every two days so anything in the tank is never more than 48 hours old. My brother in law has also won national awards for the quality of milk he produces so I feel totally safe allowing my kids to consume it.
Great info there man, I appreciate it. I'm going to look into purchasing it regularly and switching over at a nearby farm that has good reviews. I know there is controversy about raw milk but most people only look at what is on the surface and how it is perceived. After my "research" I feel it's worth a shot and will only improve my diet.