Saturday, February 4, 2012

This reminds me of India - Popularity of raw milk rises despite warnings

Come on guys.. India has such a thriving 1.2 Billion Plus populations.. I am sure that more than 70%  must be still drinking unpasteurized milk. Though they boil it themselves to pasteurize it but still majority population gets it unpasteurized condition and see.. we have such a great population growth.. ohhhh.. now I know reason for India's great population growth.. it is unpasteurized milk!!! and see.. people in Cites/Metros get pasteurized milk and population growth is so less ;-)

Generally, I am big proponent of choice.. all the citizens should have choice to choose their destiny. Food choice is among them.. It is up to citizens to choose what food they want to eat and how they eat.. as long as their medical insurance covers it.. I am if health insurance starts putting these clauses, people can make their own choice based on risks Vs rewards and matter will be resolved. You give freedom and at the same time take out some risk coverage based on those freedom.. You see.. nothing comes free.. not even freedom ;-)

But hey.. Government is also choice of people.. isn't it?? So if we want this to be major election issue.. let us make "Raw Party" and who so ever wants raw food as their legal choice, should vote for it..

Enough said.. here is the link and story from our mercury news on this..

http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_19890338

Popularity of raw milk rises despite warnings


Unp a s t e u r i z e d m i l k linked to East Coast illness outbreak


By Mary Clare Jalonick


Associated Press


WASHINGTON — An outbreak of bacterial infections on the East Coast illustrates the popularity of raw, unpasteurized milk despite strong warnings from public health officials about the potential
 danger. Even presidential candidate Ron Paul has joined the cause of consumers looking to buy unprocessed “real foods” straight from the farm, saying government shouldn’t deny them that choice. An outbreak of campylobacter illness is a reminder of the potential hazards, however. Raw milk from a dairy in Pennsylvania is now linked to 38 cases in four states, and the farm has temporarily suspended sales. Campylobacter can cause diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever and can be life-threatening if it spreads to the bloodstream.
Consumers who want unpasteurized milk have to work to find it. It’s against federal law to transport it across state lines, and most states don’t allow it to be sold in stores off the farm. Twenty states prohibit raw milk sales altogether.

The government says the milk is unsafe because of the pathogens cows may encounter on the farm.

A wide variety of pathogens besides campylobacter, can be found in raw milk — including salmonella, listeria, E. coli and others — and those sickened could suffer from stroke, kidney failure, paralysis or death, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency points out that raw milk killed many people — especially young children — before the onset of pasteurization, which kills disease-causing germs by heating milk to high temperatures for a specific period of time.

The CDC says pasteurized milk is rich in proteins,
 carbohydrates and other nutrients, and that heat only slightly decreases thiamine, vitamin B12, and vitamin C.

While the government contends that milk is a minor source of those nutrients, raw milk advocates say that’s proof that pasteurization makes milk less wholesome and pure.

The government doesn’t keep records of raw milk consumption or sales, but it’s clear that the product is popularized by a larger food movement that encourages less processing and more “real food.” Raw milk goes a step further than organic milk free of added growth hormones. Organic milk, too, has enjoyed a sales boost in recent years.

Advocates say far more illnesses are caused each year by leafy greens, deli meats and other products produced in much larger quantities than raw milk.

“To outlaw or ban any natural food because it could possibly make you sick is an extreme position, because there is no safe food,” Hartke said.

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