American Revolution

Health-conscious Americans are turning to the ultimate organic food – raw or un-pasteurized milk. Across the United States thousands of consumers are choosing to buy their milk unprocessed and direct from the farm, even though it means going against official health advice. They’re convinced that whole milk straight from the cow delivers more vitamins, minerals and health-promoting compounds than processed supermarket milk. They believe this natural health tonic will boost their immune systems and relieve a host of allergic conditions from asthma and eczema to irritable bowel syndrome.

Spearheading the consumer revolution is the US-based Campaign for Real Milk, a movement inspired by the British Campaign for Real Ale. Nutritionist Sally Fallon – founder of the American campaign – says pasteurization spoils milk by destroying vitamins C, B6 and B12, destroying enzymes, denaturing fragile milk proteins, killing beneficial bacteria and promoting dangerous pathogens such as E. coli 0157. She claims milk pasteurization is linked to tooth decay, colic in infants, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

According to Fallon pasteurization was introduced in the 1920s to combat diseases like TB and undulant fever which were present in milk because of poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. Today’s production methods are far more hygienic. Modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated transport and environmental health inspections make pasteurization unnecessary for public protection.

When the US campaign started in 1989 only a handful of American farmers were supplying raw milk direct to consumers. Now the campaign website lists hundreds of producers across the country. Now Grass Roots Foods hopes to do the same here in the UK.

As well as providing consumers with a healthier food, the campaign also aims to save the American family farm, under threat from the rise of corporate agri-business. If just one-in-ten American families decide to buy pasture-fed, raw milk direct from the farm, says Fallon, the American rural economy will undergo a total renaissance.

Federal agriculture authorities view the movement with alarm. They claim that by choosing to drink raw milk consumers are playing “Russian roulette” with their health. In many states the sale of un-pasteurized milk is banned. Determined consumers are getting round the law by forming “cow share” arrangements with farmers. The cows are owned by the shareholders. Rather than buy milk from the farm, consumers simply turn up to collect their own milk. In some states agriculture departments are challenging the arrangement, and food campaigners, the Weston A. Price Foundation, are working with farmers to help formulate a legal defence.

At Fresno in California’s fertile Joaquin Valley, the McAfee family supply raw milk from 350 cows grazing organic pastures all year round. It’s among the most nutrient-rich milk available in America. According to Mark McAfee the milk – marketed under the brand name Organic Pastures Dairy Company – is highly pathogen resistant. Despite years of rigorous testing no human pathogen has been found in an OPDC product. Because raw milk contains beneficial bacteria it’s unlikely that any pathogen finding its way into the milk would survive. The natural pathogen-killing processes would destroy it and keep the milk safe.

California is one of only four US states allowing raw milk to be sold in stores. Now the State Legislature has introduced a law placing tough limits on the number of coliform bacteria allowed in raw milk. But most coliform strains don’t cause illness, say the real milk campaigners. Raw milk is already tested for the ones that do – E. coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter. The rest are part of the teeming culture of bacteria and enzymes that give raw milk its health-protecting properties. The real milk campaign sees the new Californian law as simply the latest move to get raw milk suppliers put out of business.

According to Mark McAfee, raw milk has a big part to play in improving the health of Americans. Increasing numbers of US consumers have severely weakened immune systems, he says. They can become ill by eating small numbers of foreign bacteria that their bodies are not familiar with. It’s estimated that about 70% of the strength of a healthy immune system is made up of the diversity of living bacteria found in the intestines. Raw milk provides a perfect source for the "seeding and feeding" of these diverse populations of living bacteria. The average American diet is practically devoid of living bacteria (all killed foods and few bacterial sources). Human immune systems have suffered as a result. Consuming raw milk and dairy products is an important step towards regaining immune strength and overall health.