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News
for August 13, 2010
Local at Its Best: Raw Milk?
What’s the fuss over raw milk, and does the Lempert Report foresee raw milk on supermarket shelves? Raw milk is milk that comes from cows, sheep, or goats and has not undergone pasteurization to kill potentially harmful bacteria. According to the Food and Drug Administration and also acknowledged by those who choose to consume raw milk, raw unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria; the latter believe the dangers of consuming raw milk have been greatly exaggerated by the media and realize that all foods pose potential risk - let’s not forget spinach, cookie dough and ground beef.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one percent of the population consumes raw milk. So why has the raw vs. pasteurized argument taken center stage if such a small percentage of the population actually consumes the stuff? The Lempert Report attributes the national conversation about raw milk to the like of the “know your farmer, know your food” movement, a push for consumers to buy more local, fresh foods and less of the processed type- which includes pasteurized milk according to raw milk enthusiasts.
[ READ MORE (Supermarket Guru) ]
Hardened Criminals (comic)
This cartoon came to me when considering the bizarre fact that farmers are being arrested all across the country for selling raw milk to their friends and neighbors. Health authorities actually conduct armed raids on raw milk resellers, as witnessed recently at a private food coop in Venice, CA (we'll be reporting more on that story shortly).
[ READ MORE (Natural News) ]
Senators Announce Bill to Beef Up FDA
A bipartisan group of senators announced a bill Thursday that would empower regulators keeping the nation's food supply safe.
According to the group, the bill would give the Food and Drug Administration mandatory recall authority, require the agency to inspect food facilities more frequently, provide resources to hire new safety inspectors and give the agency access to food producers' records.
Two major sticking points still unresolved and not addressed in the measure: exempting small farmers and producers from some of the regulations and California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's urging to ban the use of the chemical additive Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, from food and containers.
[ READ MORE (CBS News) ]
Raw almond producers fight fed rules
FRESNO, Calif. — Glenn Anderson decided to make a change when he followed in his father's footsteps by growing almonds near the Central Valley town of Hilmar — he stopped using pesticides and pasteurizing the nuts.
He said it's paid off in happy customers and sold-out harvests, but Anderson, 76, said he fears federal regulations could ruin his business selling raw, organic almonds. He's hopeful an effort by a dozen California almond growers and retailers to challenge the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its rules will succeed.
[ READ MORE (Google News) ]
Raw Milk: Better for Kids?
We all know about the bottle vs. breast debate, but what about the raw milk debate?
Proponents of the use of raw milk say that while pasteurization kills bad bacteria such as E. coli, it also kills good bacteria and enzymes that have been shown to strengthen a person's immune system, fight off obesity and more. There's just one problem: The FDA has long since banned interstate sales of raw milk, and many states restrict or prohibit the sale of raw milk entirely. Why? The risk of foodborne illness, they say, greatly outweighs any possible benefits.
[ READ MORE (Opposing Views) ]
4 Reasons Why France Is Raw Milk Heaven
Hey “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Blog” readers! I’m still having a good time being on vacation with Christine’s family in the state of Indiana this week, but I’ve got a special guest blog post I wanted to share with you from a reader who hails from the country of France and is absolutely perplexed by all the legal hangups over the sale of raw milk in America. As someone who grew up in the United States and now living with her husband in a different culture altogether that embraces raw milk as a regular part of their daily livelihood, she wanted to tell us about the incredible ways it is being used by the French in their diet. Her name is Sarah from one of the blogs I highlighted before I left on my trip called Low Stress Weight Loss. Special thanks to Sarah for offering up this outstanding column that will certainly educate you about what is happening elsewhere in the world with raw milk even if we are still somewhat backwards here in America. If you like what you read at Sarah’s blog, then let her hear from you by leaving a comment below and on one of the posts at her site.
[ READ MORE (Livin La Vida Low Carb) ]
Worm poop versus the bureaucracy
What happens when green technology comes up hard against a state regulatory bureaucracy?
George Hahn, a local Cardiff-by-the-Sea resident, is the creator and owner of California Vermiculture LLC, or CV, which produces and sells Wormgold products and tree and plant rescue soil amendments (also known as worm castings or worm poop, i.e. dirt).
The bureaucracy is the state of California Department of Pesticide Regulation, or (DPR) the agency charged with the regulation, sale and use of pesticides in California. So I guess its worm poop vs. DPR.
[ READ MORE (The Coast News) ]
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