Got Milk? How About Local Organic Milk?

A milky moustache may not be all that lingers when your child swallows a glass of milk. Some chemicals hidden in milk are not so cute.

Milk lodges chemicals like PCBs, dioxins and DDE (a breakdown of the insecticide DDT) in its fat. Even though the U.S. banned many of these chemicals in the 1970s, they still linger in the soil, and today's cows munch up toxins through their food and pass it on to humans. On top of that, conventional dairy farming adds new chemicals: insecticides and the bovine growth hormone rbGH.

Milk is a vital part of young children's diets, but childhood doubles as a sensitive growth period for the brain, reproductive and immune systems. When toxins enter the picture, kids face a higher risk of cancer, thyroid and reproductive troubles as well as permanent IQ damage. What milk is safe for kids?

Conventional milk comes with the highest toxic load. "If you can find local, organic milk, that's the best," says Dr. Gina Solomon, a scientist with NRDC's health program.

Avoid bovine growth hormone (rbGH). The hormone boosts milk production, but brings a high cost to both cattle and public health. Cows "burn out" from excess milk production and with shorter lives and more disease, dairy cows get more antibiotics. The Center for Disease Control rates overuse of antibiotics as a significant public health problem since bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics. "Bovine growth hormone is definitely the worst one," says Chuck Benbrook, Chief Scientist at The Organic Center. The human impact of rbGH is uncertain, but scientists know that growth hormones can upset sperm counts and may be linked to breast cancer.

Ideally, buy organic milk for kids and pregnant mothers. Organic dairies don't use growth hormones or antibiotics on animals, and organic milk is free from extra insecticide residue. At a minimum, avoid rbGH milk. This growth hormone is banned in Europe, and several major U.S. brands now offer "rbGH-free" milk.

Choose low-fat milk for kids over age two. Toxins accumulate in milk fat, so buying skim or 1% milk lowers the chemical dose. Even organic milk can't avoid the chemical legacy of DDE, PCBs and dioxins -- for the next 50 years or more. The healthiest choice of all is local milk from grass-fed cows. Small dairies tend to be organic or follow organic practices. They're also big winners for the environment since they avoid crowded feed lots, manure lagoons and long-distance shipping. Cows on conventional or mega-organic farms eat lots of grain and corn, not a natural diet. Grazing boosts nutrition in milk by increasing key fatty acids. Omega-3 aids vision and reduces blood clots and inflammation, while CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) helps prevent tumors, obesity and viral infections. Kids and the elderly especially need these to keep healthy.

Grab a glass of organic, local milk and taste the difference!

Buy organic milk, and choose local, grass-fed dairy whenever possible. Toxins accumulate in animal fat, so buy skim or 1%.	Talk to your local grocery store manager, or write a letter, asking them to stock local organic milk. Talk to your child's school or daycare program and find out what milk they serve. Ask them to consider lower fat, local and organic milk.	Work with your child's school and other child care programs to make the switch to organic, local milk. You might work with other parents to research dairy options or find additional funding to bring healthy milk to kids.

Comments (2)

2. 03/17/2008 04:32:12 PM

The sad thing about small facilities like day care centers is that – although they buy a lot of milk – they don’t buy quite enough to have real leverage in the marketplace. So it’s tough for these facilities to negotiate special deals with producers. There are a couple of options in a situation like this. One is to switch to milk that doesn’t contain bovine growth hormone (rBST-free milk). This is often a fairly easy switch and rarely includes any increased cost. Dairies that don’t use rBST often engage in better practices in general, so that milk would be a step up from the milk from hormone-treated cows. A bigger step would be to try to set up an agreement with a group of daycare facilities in your area, and then approach a local organic dairy together in an effort to negotiate an agreement for a better price in exchange for the business. This type of approach has been successful, but it takes a champion to make it happen!

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