If you were one of my followers of my old blog, you may remember a blog post about my milk man! Well, this post is going to be a little similar, but a lot more in depth! In my most recent post, I wrote about flour and today I'm writing about MILK! Do you remember the old milk advertisement, "Milk...do your body good"? Well, hopefully after reading this, you will do it a little better.
I'm not going to lie...I'm not a big milk fan. Now that's not to say I am not a HUGE advocate for ice cream being its own food group and everyone should have at least 2 servings a day! However, a couple years ago I did some research on A2/A2 milk as well as raw milk and after reading and listening to a couple podcasts, I decided (for us!) to give it a try. I searched out and set up a delivery with a service that I found and had a gallon of A2 milk delivered to our house...and that was the start of our farm fresh milk adventure. Fast forward to today and we've since added RAW milk to our delivery!
So how does A2 milk and raw milk differ from the jugs of milk we buy at the store? In a nutshell, A LOT! And what is A2 and raw milk? Well, I am going to do my best at explaining the differences I've learned and with that we'll begin with the simple difference of TASTE. Have you ever tasted raw milk or A2 milk? Sadly a lot of folks haven't and that's mainly because we have had a fear instilled in us that raw milk is DANGEROUS! But, to get back to taste, raw milk and fresh non-homogenized A2 milk is quite literally out of this world. I like to think the consistency is a bit between store bought whole milk and half-n-half. It's thick, it's creamy, and it actually has a little "sweetness" to it.
The differences in milk aren't as easy to explain so let's start with raw milk. Raw milk has taken a turn in popularity and I'm venturing to say because a lot of people have become thinkers and are losing more and more trust with regards to our 3 letter acronym government funded agencies. Raw is just what it sounds like. It is straight from the cow and poured right into your glass jars. It's unfiltered, unpasteurized, non-homogenized, and pure. It's literally what was fed to us humans up until the 1890s when pasteurization came into effect thanks to the discovery of germ theory. A group of children became sick and it was believed that the raw milk was the source of this sickness. Because (at the time) there was no ONE test to determine if the milk was contaminated, raw milk in general was determined to be unsafe and the germs contagious. Enter the beginning of pasteurization; the killing of harmful germs.
Pasteurizing milk is one of four different processes . First, there is HIGH TEMP/SHORT TIME where raw milk is heated to 161º for 15 seconds or 145º for 30 minutes, rapidly cooled and giving it a refrigerated shelf life of 2 weeks. Second is HIGH HEAT/SHORTER TIME where raw milk is heated to 191º-212º for one full second to .01 of a second, and rapidly cooled. Next is ULTRA HIGH TEMP where raw milk is heated to 280º for 2 seconds, rapidly cooled, then hermetically sealed. This gives it a shelf life of 6-9 months and doesn't have to be refrigerated. Lastly, ULTRA PASTEURIZED is the same process of 280º, but it isn't sealed so it has to be refrigerated, lasting 30-90 days. If you visit other countries, you will see how their milk is not refrigerated due to the ULTRA HIGH TEMP and sealed process. At one point a company in America tried to market the same thing, but it didn't take off like it has in other countries.
Now here's the thing. As I researched, and you can, too, the US FDA has stated many 'backed by science' claims about consuming raw milk and the dangers it has. And because of their findings, Federal law prohibits distribution to grocery stores. Here's what their site lists:
"pasteurization effectively kills pathogens without any significant impact on milk's nutritional quality."
"no scientific literature can be found that raw milk is more effective in preventing osteoporosis"
"Studies show raw milk does not cure/treat asthma"
"Bacteria in raw milk are not probiotic"
"Raw milk is not an immune system building food and is particularly unsafe for children"
"Raw milk has no protease/lipases that facilitate milk digestion"
"Raw milk is not nutritionally superior"
"Raw milk does not contain natural antimicrobial components that make it safe"
"Raw milk causes greater rate of food borne outbreaks than pasteurized milk" Farmers and those raised on a farm would beg to differ. Matter of fact, once testing became available, farmers fought to have raw milk for sale (and still are). Those who advocate for raw milk argue that most raw milk comes from pasture raised cows, not grain fed cows like those in commercial dairy farms, making the cows' milk healthier. They believe that pasteurizing in addition to killing harmful germs, also kills beneficial gut microbes. 60 different enzymes are severely depleted which aid in digestion and absorption of other vitamins and minerals. Raw milk improves digestion and immune function with an extremely higher content of beneficial bacteria and important nutrients. It has considerably more fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. The argument that both sides seem to agree on is that the risk of contamination is after the cow has been milked. The FDA and Farmers will agree that farms that are unsanitary, dirty, crowded, and milking near feces/excrement is indeed setting up raw milk to be contaminated, but unlike commercial dairy farming, most farmers do not want to turn to antibiotics to treat the cows therefor passing these antibiotics via milk. In all honesty, have you seen commercial chicken houses? Commercially produced ANYTHING should be a red flag for you! And to be honest, you don't have to be government funded or a farmer to realize unsanitary conditions and filth will lead to diseases...
And before you ask what the difference is between pasteurized and homogenized is, homogenized is simply the removal process of fat from the milk. Obviously there are levels of fat removal, giving us whole, 2%, and skim. Non-homogenized is leaving the fat untouched and giving that wonderful layer of cream that develops at the top after the milk has settled and rests.
The final takeaway here is do your research and do what you believe to be best for your family. If you want to buy raw milk and you can find a farm that sells it, take a look around the farm-even ask to see their milking set up, get to know the farmer, ask other customers of the farmer. It's no different than any other food if you ask me. I say this because I have a hard time swallowing the pill that raw milk is bad and dangerous. The same agency allows us as consumers to purchase raw meat, raw fruits and vegetables, sushi, etc. at grocery stores and even allows for these purchases at Farmer's Markets. Evidently we are supposedly smart enough to decide how to eat these items, but not smart enough to know better with purchasing raw milk. I can buy alcohol and cigarettes, but not raw milk... and seriously, how many times have you heard about recalls from other raw food plants because of reported serious illness outbreaks? Everything from vegetables to chicken to babyfood! Yet selling raw milk is a category all its own....and you want to know why people have lost trust...
Below is a chart if you are looking to purchase raw milk. I have found locally that farmers sell their raw milk for "pet consumption". What a consumer does with it after purchase is their prerogative.
Now what is A2/A2 milk? So, A1 and A2 are what's called a beta-casein protein found in cow's milk, however, they are two very different variants of this protein. History tells us that over 8000 years ago all cows produced just the A2 beta-casein protein, but a mutation occurred and the A1 beta-casein was formed. What we've found today is that the A1 beta-casein, when ingested, can be converted into an opioid in our body and cause inflammation and gastrointestinal issues; for some it's very severe. However, A2 beta-casein doesn't do this or cause this AND is the most like human breastmilk! It is more easily absorbed and digested.
And how does one get A2 milk? Well, there are still herds that produce A2 naturally. These are the Swiss Brown, Jersey, Guernsey, and Normande to name the most popular. Holstein, which are used for high milk production, are less likely to have A2. And you guessed it, store bought milk comes from high milk production dairy cows. With that said, farmers will purchase cows to breed and produce A2 milk. You will see labels of A2/A2 which means that the milk came from the offspring of both A2 only cows giving it A2 milk production. A1/A2 is blended and does contain the A1 beta-casein protein, which could cause the inflammation and gastric issues. Then of course there's the A1/A1 which isn't even put on labels.
As many of you know, the popular diagnosis of "lactose intolerant" has sky rocketed over the years. What many are learning is that the intolerance isn't the lactose, but rather the A1 beta-casein protein. Sufferers have switched to A2/A2 and many are now able to enjoy their milk again! Now, for those who suffer a true dairy allergy, the A2/A2 protein structure will sadly not make a difference.
A2/A2 milk is starting to get more popular, too. Most nationwide grocery chains carry brands like Organic Valley, Fairlife, or The a2 Milk Company that offer A2/A2 milk. But I find that fresh non-homogenized A2/A2 milk is the best! I've even found a farm that offers RAW A2/A2 milk!! I've also seen baby formula that is A2/A2 cow's milk. I say that because goats and sheep (among other animals) are A2 and goat milk is the rage for moms looking to feed or supplement with baby formula. Ironically I found that it is extremely hard to source out goat milk formula in the US unlike European countries...and don't look at the cost because I will tell you, it's not cheap!
So, if you haven't done so yet, find yourself a farmer who sells A2/A2 milk and/or raw milk and give it a try. In our house, we have to hide it if we know the kids will be visiting! It's their preferred beverage choice here....I guess that's not a bad thing.
Oh, one last thing. I mentioned we have it delivered. I found MARKETWAGON online and used to get it delivered to my house. However, I now have it delivered to my husband's work place because he works in Ohio and the farm we purchase our milk from is only licensed to sell in Ohio. However, Marketwagon has many localities so give them a look.
Comments