International Archives - Real Milk

Ontario–Charter Challenge to Raw Milk Ban

Real Milk — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 21:44:05 +0000

Update Published Summer, 2020

In Ontario, a constitutional (charter) challenge to a national and provincial ban on the sale and distribution of raw milk is nearing the finish. In November 2019, attorneys for the 19 consumers and two farmers (applicants) who filed the challenge, and attorneys for the attorney general of Ontario, the attorney general of Canada, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the Dairy Farmers of Canada will argue the case before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in what should be the final phase of the litigation. Among those challenging the ban in court is dairy farmer Elisa Vander Hout whose husband is Michael Schmidt, the one who has done more to promote and increase access to raw milk than anyone in Canada.

The main claim of the applicants is that the ban violates the provision in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing freedom of conscience and religion. A brief filed in the case states that the two farmers, Vander Hout and Paul Noble, “each believe as a matter of conscience in the health benefits of raw milk and that they have a duty to provide it to consumers who share their beliefs.” The 19 consumers have purchased raw milk, consumed it and provided it to their families because “they believe as a matter of conscience in the health benefits of raw milk. They further believe that as a matter of conscience they and their families need to consume raw milk because doing so protects their health.”

The case boils down to a battle of dueling experts over the safety and risks of raw milk consumption. Thanks to affidavits from microbiologist Peg Coleman and Dr. Nadine Ijaz, the record in the litigation establishes more strongly than ever that the Canadian raw milk ban is not about public health but rather about protecting the market share of the country’s powerful dairy cartel. Their testimony shows how the science on raw milk safety and benefits has strengthened considerably in recent years.
The applicants’ attorney, Queen’s counsel Ian Blue, points out in a court filing that calling raw milk a public health risk:

Ignores the fact that raw milk has unique health benefits not possessed by pasteurized milk;
Is based on outdated and incomplete pathogen prevalence and outbreak reports;
Misses the fact that over the last 26 years, the legalization of the sale of raw milk (in the U.S. and elsewhere) has significantly increased while outbreaks of illnesses from raw milk have significantly decreased;
Ignores the fact that in the Western world illnesses from raw milk are a de minimis food safety and public health issue;
Ignores the role of openness, scrutiny and food safety management programs in minimizing the health risk of raw milk; and
Ignores the fact that almost everywhere else and in the Western world, the sale and distribution of raw milk is legal.

At issue in the case has been a 2018 study finding that “the rate of unpasteurized milk-associated outbreaks has been declining since 2010, despite increasing legal distribution. Controlling for growth in population and consumption, the outbreak rate has effectively decreased by 74 percent since 2005” (the study looked at outbreaks from 2005 to 2018). The government has not been able to discredit the study during the litigation.

The government’s position during the litigation has been that the prevalence of pathogens in raw milk is reason enough to maintain the ban; this is a double standard applied to raw milk—if it’s not perfect then sales should be illegal. The applicants’ response has been to show that pathogen prevalence alone is not a reliable indicator of risk because of risk-mitigating factors such as the dose of the pathogen (is there enough in the milk to make someone sick); the consumer’s immunological status; production, storage and transport conditions of the milk; and the mitigating
presence of beneficial bacteria. In her affidavit, Ijaz noted, “The risk per serving of foodborne illness. . . associated with consumption of milk procured in its raw state—while not negligible—is significantly lower than that from other foods commonly implicated in foodborne outbreaks, such as leafy green vegetables, ground beef hamburger and home-cooked chicken.”

The government has moved to exclude evidence provided by Coleman and Ijaz, among others, on the grounds that they are biased in favor of raw milk. In commenting on the motion in a court document, Blue observed that “the lawyer’s law is sometimes phrased as when the facts are against you, argue the law. When the law is against you, argue the facts. And when both the law and the facts are against you, call the other side names.” When asked by Blue during cross-examination, two of the government’s witnesses acknowledged that informed consumers should have the freedom to consume raw milk.

Blue, a litigator with 50 years’ experience in the courts, has estimated that there are around 30,000 pages of documents in the case. The dairy cartel has a strong influence in the country, but with a fair-minded judge,
this is a winnable case. Kudos to Ian Blue and his law firm of Gardiner Roberts LLP for providing representation for applicants at a substantial discount.

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David Rand, Alberta, Canada

Real Milk — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 18:32:26 +0000

by Pete Kennedy, Esq.

Update, Fall, 2019: Good news from Canada! The Crown has decided to stay proceedings in its prosecution of Innisfail farmer David Rand for alleged violations of Alberta’s dairy law. Earlier this year the Crown brought charges for the “unlicensed production or processing of dairy products,” selling raw milk, and “obstructing, hindering or impeding [any inspectors] in carrying out their duties” under the Alberta Dairy Industry Act. Each of the charges carries a maximum $25,000 fine. A trial was slated to take place sometime this fall. (See Wise Traditions Spring, 2019 issue, “Canada – Raw Milk Enforcement Moves to Alberta” for background.)

According to a letter Rand posted on his farm’s Facebook page, what the stay means is that the court hearing the case considers the case file closed and has cancelled the fall trial. Rand and his wife Charmaine were told that even though technically the Crown has one year to reopen a case file after the granting of a stay, in practice, it rarely does so. Rand has worked on an effort to legalize raw milk sales in Alberta, a difficult fight to win. Canada remains the most oppressive nation in the world when it comes to enforcement against raw milk sales and distribution, but the stay in the Rand case is a significant step in the right direction.

This article was first published in the Fall 2019 issue of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Canada–Raw Milk Enforcement Moves to Alberta

Original Story, Spring 2019: Raw milk enforcement actions continue in Canada; this time, it’s Alberta. The Crown has brought three charges against Innisfail farmer David Rand for alleged violations of Alberta’s dairy law: the unlicensed production or processing of dairy products, selling raw milk and “obstructing, hindering or impeding an inspector in carrying out their duties” under the Alberta Dairy Industry Act. A trial will likely take place this fall; each of the charges carries a maximum $25,000 fine. (For those who would like to support Rand, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up at ca.gofundme.com/dairy-freedom.)

In addition to the charges, the Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a “notice of closure” to Rand ordering him to “cease and desist the distribution, transport, processing or sale of unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized milk products.” One of the grounds for the order was that “distributing, transporting, processing or selling unpasteurized milk products” was in violation of an Alberta health regulation stating, “no person shall create, commit or maintain a nuisance.” Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AAF) issued a second order to Rand, a “notice of seizure or detention” requiring that all milking equipment and any dairy products, including all future production, remain on Rand’s farm.

The charges and the orders against Rand stem from a November 7, 2018, raid on Rand’s farm and a supposed raw milk distribution site in Red Deer, Alberta, by officials from both AAF and AHS as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The officials conducted the raid at both locations without any warrant.

The law in Alberta, as in all provinces of Canada, prohibits any sale of raw milk; there is a federal ban in the country as well. The ban has served as a protection racket for the dairy industry, but some of the farmers making up the industry might want to consider obtaining another outlet for their milk. The Canadian quota system has been held as a model for the struggling U.S. dairy industry, but there has been a tremendous decline in the number of Canadian dairies, falling from nearly one hundred forty thousand in 1960 to fewer than twelve thousand today according to The Globe and Mail.¹

In Ontario, there is an ongoing court case where twenty-one Ontario farmers and consumers have filed in a Toronto superior court a constitutional challenge to the province’s ban on raw milk sales and distribution.² In 2010 an Ontario court ruled in a case the Crown had brought against Michael Schmidt for illegally selling raw dairy, stating that there was a legal distinction between the public and private distribution of food and that informed consumers can waive the protection of public health laws. That ruling was reversed on appeal; raw milk proponents could use a similar decision in the country that is the most oppressive in the world when it comes to enforcement against raw milk sales and distribution.

Supporters of raw milk access in Canada may go to the educational Facebook page for Farm-Fresh-Milk (be sure to include the hyphens). The intention is to show that raw milk needs to be on the policy platform of every party. There is also a website with a petition for Canadians to have the right to obtain fresh milk produced by local farms; to endorse “We Choose Fresh,” go to farmfreshmilk.ca/wechoosefresh.

Barrie McKenna, “Canada’s dairy industry is a rich, closed club,” The Globe and Mail, 25 June 2015 (updated 15 May 2018), theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-dairy-industry-is-a-rich-closed-club/article25124114/
Pete Kennedy, “Farmers & consumers challenge raw milk ban.” RealMilk.com, 19 February 2018, realmilk.com/farmers-consumers-file-constitutional-challenge-ontario-raw-milk-ban/

This article was first published in the Spring 2019 issue of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

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Raw Milk Enforcement Moves to Alberta

Real Milk — Sun, 19 May 2019 18:13:44 +0000

By Pete Kennedy, Esq.

Raw milk enforcement actions continue in Canada; this time, it’s Alberta. The Crown has brought three charges against Innisfail farmer David Rand for alleged violations of Alberta’s dairy law: the unlicensed production or processing of dairy products, selling raw milk and “obstructing, hindering or impeding an inspector in carrying out their duties” under the Alberta Dairy Industry Act. A trial will likely take place this fall; each of the charges carries a maximum $25,000 fine. (For those who would like to support Rand, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up at
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dairy-freedom.)

Barrie McKenna, “Canada’s dairy industry is a rich, closed club,” The Globe and Mail, 25 June 2015 (updated 15 May 2018), theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-dairy-industry-is-a-rich-closed-club/article25124114/
Pete Kennedy, “Farmers & consumers challenge raw milk ban.” RealMilk.com, 19 February 2018, realmilk.com/farmers-consumers-file-constitutional-challenge-ontario-raw-milk-ban/

This article was first published in the Spring 2019 edition of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

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Raw Cow Milk Sales Now Legal in Catalonia Region of Spain

Real Milk — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 15:52:21 +0000

By Pete Kennedy, Esq.

On July 19 the government in the Catalonia region of Spain made the decision to allow the direct sale of raw cow milk from producers to consumers, ending a twenty-eight-year ban on such sales.¹ According to the online publication, Food Safety News, “sales can be on the producing farm, in a vending machine or at a retail establishment,”² not elaborating on whether the farmer must have an ownership interest in the retail establishment that is selling the raw milk.

Until the announcement of the Catalonian government, Spain’s health ministry had been working towards issuing a decree legalizing raw cow milk sales in the rest of the country but due to protests from critics of raw milk, the new Socialist government in Spain has decided to suspend any move on raw milk sales until it has conducted a “full analysis of the issue….”¹ Spain banned raw milk sales nationwide in 1990; Catalonia has autonomy in food safety matters so the region can legalize raw milk sales regardless of what the national government does. Spain’s UPA, the Union of Small Farmers and Cattle Ranchers, has asked for nationwide legalization.³

The Catalonian regulations contain a labeling requirement that the raw milk be labeled with an expiration date of no more than seventy-two hours after milking. Those dairy farmers wanting to sell raw milk must notify the local government agency with jurisdiction over livestock operations before beginning sales. The dairies are required to have a written program for the prevention and control of mastitis as well as a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plan.²

References

Marianne Barriaux, “Catalonia in raw milk row as Catalan minister insists it’s as safe as ‛four-week-old chicken from the fridge’”, The Local Spain, 25 July 2018. Last viewed 9/9/2018 at https://www.thelocal.es/20180725/catalonia-in-raw-milk-controversy.
Joe Whitworth, “Catalonia OKs sales of raw milk; all of Spain may follow suit”, Food Safety News, 27 July 2018. Last viewed 9/9/2018 at https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/07/catalonia-oks-sales-of-raw-milk-all-of-spain-may-follow-suit/.
Redacción ECA, “UPA defends the direct sale of raw milk ‛with all the guarantees’”, Comercio Agrario, 25 July 2018. Last viewed 9/9/2018 at http://ecomercioagrario.com/en/upa-defends-the-direct-sale-of-raw-milk-with-all-the-guarantees/.

This article first appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, the Quarterly Journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

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Raw Milk Vending Machine Sales Soar on the World Market

Real Milk — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 01:27:28 +0000

RAW MILK DEVOTEES TAKE NOTE!

By Sylvia P. Onusic, PhD, CNS, LDN

The raw milk movement has turned into a revolution. Over the past ten to fifteen years, more and more moms have discovered the nutritional and taste value of buying real milk for their families, and more farmers are realizing that real milk adds value to their business. The raw milk renaissance has been supported by the promotion and education efforts of the Weston A. Price Foundation and its Campaign for Real Milk at realmilk.com.

In the mid-1940s, fictional articles appeared in Coronet magazine (May 1945) and Reader’s Digest (August 1946), describing the non-existent town of Crossroads where many individuals supposedly were dying from undulant fever as a result of drinking raw milk.¹ Ever since the publication of these and other fabricated stories, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),² the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention³ and other government agencies have continued to beat the same sorry drum, warning consumers that raw dairy products are hazardous. Consumers, fueled by these government reports, have feared the dangers of raw milk.

This legacy of fear-mongering, combined with the lowfat lipid hypothesis of heart disease and the growth of industrial dairies, has produced a vast array of highly processed, pasteurized, ultrapasteurized and homogenized versions of milk. Containing varying amounts of fat, these products are tasteless and devoid of the rich nutrients that are the hallmark of milk from pastured animals.

In the U.S., only a few states such as Pennsylvania and California allow retail sales of raw milk. The sale of raw milk for human consumption is completely illegal in sixteen states. In other states, consumers who go to some effort can obtain raw milk on the farm, through herdshares or cowshares or as pet food.⁴

The restriction on food freedoms in North America has been accompanied by increasingly desperate enforcement of government food laws by U.S. and Canadian officials who use police to invade small farms and arrest farmers who produce raw milk. For example, the FDA carried out an early-morning armed raid on the farm of Dan Allgyer, an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania, because he violated the agency’s ban on interstate raw milk sales. The raid put Allgyer out of business. None of Allgyer’s out-of-state customers, who had sought out his dairy products with full awareness that they were unpasteurized, had ever alleged that the milk had made them sick.⁵

A NEW SALES MODEL

Europeans have long valued raw milk as a traditional food that serves as the basis for many cheeses and other related products.⁶ Most European countries permit the sale of raw milk. Moreover, European officials have done the opposite of their counterparts in the U.S. by allowing expanded distribution of raw milk through self-service consumer vending machines.^7,8 The vending machines give consumers easy access to raw milk at convenient locations in shopping centers and at farmers markets as well as near schools and playgrounds. The machines also provide added value to farmers, who can increase their market and sell their milk safely,hygienically and with confidence. In these countries, pasteurized forms of milk are also available, including sterilized milk sold in cardboard boxes, which do not require refrigeration.

I discovered my first raw milk vending machine (mlekomat) in 2009 at the main farmers market in the capital city of Ljubljana, Slovenia.⁹ The machine was a marvel—simple and so easy to use that a child could operate it. The design was also flexible, with many built-in features to accommodate the wants of the consumer. The major focus was on safety of the milk and maintenance of hygienic conditions before and after dispensing it. If I had to guess, I would bet that a mom designed it!

After payment, the machine dispenses the milk into a glass or plastic container that the consumer can purchase on site (or into the consumer’s personal container). Once the machine has dispensed the milk, an ultraviolet light sanitizes the surface. There are usually paper towels nearby to wipe up any drips. One liter (about a quart) of fresh raw cow’s milk is available for about one euro ($1.12 US). A consumer can purchase an unlimited amount of milk.

The vending machines only allow sale of raw milk over a twenty-four-hour period, at which point a new batch must replace the previous batch. If the temperature of the storage unit changes, the farmers receive a message on their cell phone. In fact, a farmer can check the status of the milk machine at any time through a cell phone app. Inspectors also have easy key card access to the inner workings of the vending machines at any time.⁸ Farmers own and maintain the machines, cutting out middlemen. Farmers can post information on websites letting the public know about the locations of their vending machines, but consumers also can easily find them in areas where they already shop and consume food. There have been no confirmed reports of illness caused by the raw milk purchased at these machines from government officials or members of the public.¹⁰

A WORLDWIDE TREND

As an American who is aware of the restrictions and force applied by the U.S. government to prohibit the sale of raw milk, it was almost unbelievable to observe vending machines dispensing milk for customer after customer in Slovenia. I began to wonder about the extent to which raw milk was permitted elsewhere in Europe. After doing some research, I found that raw milk vending machines are operating safely in many European countries. For example, there are more than one thousand raw milk machines in Italy alone, including in Sardinia and Sicily.¹¹ When blogger Sarah Pope and her family traveled to Italy, she observed that raw milk vending machines were stationed near schools.¹²

In addition to Italy and Slovenia, consumers can find raw milk machines in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and more. Spain and Norway restrict the sale of raw milk at present, but it looks like they may ease regulations to permit vending machines.⁸

Since seeing that first mlekomat, sales and use of raw milk vending machines have increased to such an extent that they generate yearly marketing reports and forecasts in the millions of dollars. The popularity of raw milk machines has even spread beyond Europe to India and elsewhere in Asia, Africa, New Zealand and elsewhere.^8,13

INCOME FOR FARMERS

The European Union originally imposed raw milk quotas on farmers but recently discontinued them, which prompted an increase in milk production in many countries, accompanied by falling prices. These factors, along with rising consumer awareness of raw milk as a natural food, actually created the conditions that have allowed raw milk vending machine sales to skyrocket.⁸ In fact, the machines handily offered a solution for what might otherwise have become an unpleasant political situation for European officials. As farmers eagerly embrace this strategy for marketing their milk, governments too have welcomed vending machine sales, sometimes attending events that put new machines into service and even drinking the milk themselves.^14-15 Dairy farmers who also produce traditional raw milk cheeses, buttermilk, yogurt and chocolate milk are looking to vending machines as potential sales outlets for those products as well.⁸

A 2016 marketing research report estimated that the European raw milk vending machine market was worth U.S. $6.45 million in 2015 and will reach U.S. $17.97 million by 2024.⁸ During the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, the market is expected to surge at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5 percent. The report predicts that sales in Eastern European countries will rise by 9 percent over the same eight-year period. The report also covers market growth in China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.⁸ Additionally, the report analyzes factors that are driving growth of raw milk vending machines in each region; assesses market trends, growth opportunities and strategies to increase raw milk popularity; and examines market share and competitive strategies adopted by producers in the European raw milk market.⁸

There are three leading raw milk vending machine producers (DF Italia, Brunimat GmbH and ProMeteA SRL), which make up 87 percent of the market. As raw milk continues to grow in popularity, however, vending machine manufacturers are joining the game in India, China and other countries.¹⁶ This competition among producers has led to topnotch vending machines with improved ergonomics and new designs with even better sanitation and slots for products such as cheese, buttermilk, yogurt, chocolate milk and ice cream. In Slovenia, I witnessed farmers using such machines to sell non-dairy products such as wine and olive oil directly to consumers. The sale of vegetables through vending machines may also prove to be a lucrative business opportunity.⁸

REACTIONS BACK HOME

When I returned to the U.S. after my first sighting of a raw milk vending machine, I wrote several blog posts about the machines.⁹ Americans and other readers posted generally positive comments. Interest in the U.S. intensified after I spoke about the vending machines at the Second Annual International Raw Milk Symposium in April 2010.¹⁵ Reporters who attended the conference wrote about the machines. Many people asked me the same two questions: “How do we get the machines?” and “Would they work in the US?”

When I returned to Slovenia the following summer, I met with an Italian producer who was willing to change out the electricals in his model of the vending machine to meet the one-hundred-and-ten volt standards needed for operation in the US. He even offered to send a raw milk machine for use at the WAPF conference being hosted in Pennsylvania that year. After more sleuthing, however, I found that the machine definitely would not clear U.S. customs.

As far as trying to obtain approval to sell raw milk via vending machine in my home state of Pennsylvania, where raw milk is legal, officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture strongly discouraged me from embarking on such an enterprise. A female veterinarian who worked at the Agriculture Department told me it would be a grueling bureaucratic process and said that they would never approve vending machines because there was no way to police them. Even after I explained how farmers could track their machines via a special iPhone app and stated that inspectors could gain access to the machine at any time with an entry key, the idea seemed unfathomable to her.

As a result, no American farmers thus far have been successful in bringing vending machines to America. It would be a Herculean task to surmount all the obstacles and barriers that are in place. On the other hand, it is currently possible in the U.S. marketplace to purchase milk machines that dispense pasteurized milk or milk powder products in sugar-laden chocolate and strawberry flavors.¹⁷

VENDING MACHINES IN THE UK

Farmers in the UK and Ireland have had better luck importing raw milk vending machines, and the major vending machine producers have made rapid inroads there. Starting in 2011, officials have allowed farmers to use raw milk machines on the farm.¹⁴ In all, almost one hundred and fifty farms are selling raw milk in the UK and Ireland.¹⁸

The placement of a vending machine at a local Selfridges store (part of a department store chain) has been more controversial, because the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) views it as technically breaking a law that bans the sale of raw milk from mainstream retail outlets in England, Scotland and Wales. Selfridges personnel say that their local government gave permission for the machine to be operational on the premises. Selfridges stopped selling the milk, but the FSA persisted and is prosecuting Selfridges as well as Steve Hook, the farmer from Longley’s Farm in East Sussex who was in charge of filling the machine.^19,20

Fen Farm Dairy raw milk vending machine in the UK

Jonny Crickmore of Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk has been farming for over eighty years. Jonny was the first farmer in the UK to install a farm-based raw milk vending machine in 2011. He and his brother George milk three hundred French Montbéliarde cows, run a beef herd and make raw cheese, butter and cream. His “Baron Bigod” is Britain’s only raw brie and is described as “creamy, smooth and nutty.” Jonny’s neighbor, Julie Cheyney at White Wood Dairy, uses his milk to make her celebrated St. Jude cheese.^21,22 Jonny likes the fact that he, rather than a processor or supermarket, is in control of the milk. He uses the DF Italia machines and sells them to other farmers.¹⁴ On Saturdays he sells about one hundred and ten liters of raw milk and is confident that he will sell up to two hundred liters eventually because people are just learning about the vending machines. He says that the machine improved his cash flow “instantly.”^7,14,21,22

Jeremy Holmes is another dairy farmer who owns a machine from DF Italia. The machine cost him nine thousand pounds ($11,400). He milks a mix of Holstein-Friesians crossed with rown Swiss. He thinks the vending machine is “absolutely brilliant” and has probably saved his business. He notes that he pays the utmost attention to hygiene to ensure that the lab test results are “easily met.”^7,14

Elwick dairy farmer Andrew Sturrock, athird-generation farmer of Home Farm, has launched a new vending machine that allows villagers to serve themselves with a “pinta” or two of the white stuff that has been freshly milked that day. It is the first of its kind in the North East. Sturrock bought the machine after seeing an item about it on the BBC Countryfile television program. Sturrock said that he “installed the vending machine as a way of adding value to our products,” noting that “people love the taste and keep coming back.” Every morning, Sturrock pours one hundred and twenty liters of raw milk from his one-hundred-and-eighty-head herd into the machine after it has been filtered and chilled. The Home Farm website shows a video of seven-year-old Louis Richmond purchasing milk from the machine on his tippy toes and, after the bottle is filled, taking a long slug and then giving the camera a million-dollar smile.²³

In the UK, raw milk is not only the choice of smiling seven-year-olds and many Britons but also of the royal family. A recent report states: “Queen Elizabeth drinks her milk raw. She reportedly thinks so highly of unpasteurized milk that when her grandsons Princes William and Harry were students at Eton, she instructed herdsman Adrian Tomlinson to bottle up raw milk from her Windsor herd and deliver it to them at school.”²⁴ Prince Philip also supports the consumption of raw milk.

RAW MILK SAFETY

What is the safety record for raw milk vending machines that have now dispensed thousands of liters of milk? In Slovenia, health officials confirm that there have been no outbreaks of illness.⁹ In fact use of the milk machines may limit the potential for introduction of pathogenic bacteria because the milk goes straight from the cow to the dispenser without undergoing any intermediate processing,²⁵ and the milk is kept at a constant temperature.⁸

With its large network of vending machines, there have been no reports of illness in Italy. Nonetheless researchers in northern Italy decided to examine milk samples from sixty machines on thirty-three farms that sell about three thousand five hundred liters of raw milk daily.²⁶ When they used the method of testing (called an ISO test) that the region’s regulators rely on to check milk safety, the researchers found no pathogens. When they decided to use two additional testing methods—polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and modified bacteriological analytical manual (mBAM)—they detected the presence, in extremely small numbers, of Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli O:157 and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), leading the researchers to conclude that the standard ISO test is “not sensitive enough.” The researchers also found that “in comparison with milk samples collected from bulk tanks, the milk samples collected from vending machines showed a significant increase of total bacterial count ‘meaning that raw milk was mishandled during distribution and sale,’ perhaps due to lack of consistent temperature control.”²⁶ However, they failed to disclose their methods for protecting the milk from contamination during collection of the samples.

Another Italian study conducted from 2009-2011 assessed six hundred and eighteen milk samples from one hundred and thirty-one vending machines for the presence of pathogens.²⁷ They found that 0.3 percent of the samples were positive for Salmonella spp., 0.2 percent for E. coli O:157, 1.5 percent for Campylobacter spp. and 1.6 percent for Listeria monocytogenes. The researchers did not compare pathogen levels in raw versus pasteurized milk samples, nor did they consider the possibility that they themselves may have mishandled the milk. A study comparing the detection rates for these bacteria in similar samples of pasteurized milk or raw milk intended for pasteurization might furnish more credible information for risk assessment.

In early 2017, reports emerged of a Campylobacter outbreak in the UK’s South Lakeland District, sickening fifty-six people. Authorities associated the outbreak with milk from a raw milk vending machine, shutting it down pending further testing and investigation. No reports have been forthcoming to identify or confirm the source of the bacteria.28

The European Union watchdog for food safety—the European Food Safety Authority’s Panel on Biological Hazards—has its eye on raw milk. Clearly this is because of the growing consumer interest in the health benefits of raw milk consumption. The panel has been unable to quantify accurately the public health risks associated with drinking raw milk due to gaps in data (or shoddy records?). However, member state data on food-borne disease outbreaks point to twenty-seven outbreaks between 2007 and 2013 due to consumption of raw cow’s or goat’s milk. Most (78 percent) were caused by Campylobacter; others were caused by Salmonella, Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). No further information is available regarding the outbreaks or their relationship to raw milk vending machines.⁹

THE BIGGER PICTURE

According to raw milk expert Dr. Ted Beals, consumers are about thirty-five thousand times more likely to get sick from other foods than they are from raw milk.²⁹ Informed consumers are aware of the true risk-benefit ratio of consuming raw milk from farms employing diligent practices. Despite government attempts to intimidate farmers and consumers through police and regulatory actions, authorities in the U.S. and elsewhere have not been able to stem the tide of the raw milk movement, which continues to spread. The rising popularity of raw milk vending machines and direct farm-to-consumer sales reflects a strategic business model that is helping many dairy farmers not only stay in business but make a reasonable living.³⁰

REFERENCES

1. Fallon SA. A campaign for real milk: full-fat, pasture-fed, unprocessed. Weston A. Price Foundation, PowerPoint slides 59-60, September 2011.

2. US Food and Drug Administration. The dangers of raw milk: unpasteurized milk can pose a serious health risk. https://www.fda.gov/Food/resourcesForYou/consumers/ucm079516.htm.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Raw milk questions and answers. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-questions-and-answers.html.

4. Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Raw milk nation—interactive map. State-by-state review of raw milk laws. Updated February 10, 2017. http://bit.ly/2rS2sM1.

5. Kennedy P. Dan Allgyer, Pennsylvania. Campaign for Real Milk.

6. Hesser A. The French resist again: this time, over cheese. The New York Times, May 20, 1998.

7. Brasch S. Raw milk vending machines take over Europe. Modern Farmer, March 25, 2014.

8. Transparency Market Research. Raw milk vending machine market—Europe industry analysis, size, share, growth, trends and forecast 2016-2024. April 11, 2016. http://bit.ly/2qR5fa2.

9. Onusic S. Fresh milk, raw milk, anytime at the mlekomat—automatic milk machines in Slovenian markets. Taste of Slovenia, April 12, 2014. http://bit.ly/2qhUNpo.

10. EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards. Scientific opinion on the public health risks related to the consumption of raw drinking milk. EFSA Journal 2015;13(1):3940. http://bit.ly/2qYuQOO.

11. Milk maps [Italy]. http://www.milkmaps.com/.

12. Pope S. Raw milk machines are EVERYWHERE in Europe, why not USA. The Healthy Home Economist, December 23, 2016. http://bit.ly/2qYcRWN.

13. Village Milk. Dispensing machines for raw drinking milk. Takaka, New Zealand. http://www.villagemilk.co.nz/.

14. Midgley O. Raw milk vending machines helping farmers steer through the dairy crisis. FG/Insight. March 25, 2016. http://bit.ly/21R2dLe.

15. Onusic S. European raw milk perspectives. Second Annual International Raw Milk Symposium, Madison, WI, April 2010. The PowerPoint slide presentation and audio file are available on the Campaign for Real Milk website at www.realmilk.com.

16. Alibaba.com. http://bit.ly/2qif3XO.

17. Chocolate milk vending machine. http://bit.ly/2rjelhe.

18. Welcome to raw milk suppliers [UK and Ireland]. http://rawmilk.simkin.co.uk/.

19. Smithers R. Selfridges’ raw milk dispenser “contravenes food hygiene regulations.” The Guardian, December 15, 2011.

20. Raw milk vending machine supplier in UK targeted by government. Health Impact News, May 24, 2017.

21. Fen Farm Dairy. Welcome to Fen Farm Dairy. http://fenfarmdairy.co.uk/.

22. Barrie J. British dairy farmers are starting a raw cheese revolution. Munchies. June 17, 2015. http://bit.ly/2rWqbKr.

23. Payne M. Hartlepool milk vending machine first in North East. Hartlepool Mail, September 2, 2016. http://bit.ly/2qYl8Ml.

24. Selick K. Raw-milk fans are getting a raw deal. The Globe and Mail, September 24, 2010. https://tgam.ca/ 2riT07s.

25. A lotta bottle-but no milkman! Farm installs vending machine that delivers milk pumped straight from the udder. Daily Mail, April 25, 2014. http://dailym.ai/2qm4q5u.

26. Rothschild M. Study finds pathogens in Italian vending machine raw milk. Food Safety News, March 27, 2012. http://bit.ly/2qXUsev.

27. Bianchi DM, Barbaro A, Gallina S, Vitale N, Chiavacci L, Caramelli M, Decastelli L. Monitoring of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in vending machines. Food Control 2013;32(2): 435-9.

28. News Desk. UK’s raw milk vending machine outbreak expands; 56 sick. Food Safety News, January 3, 2017. http://bit.ly/2rSnJ8x.

29. Beals T. Those pathogens, what you should know. A Campaign for Real Milk, July 31, 2011.

30. Australian Raw Milk Movement (ARMM). Raw milk & vending machines save small family farms. https://www.ausrawmilk.org/blog/raw-milkvending-machines-save-small-family-farms.

31. Watson M. Death of NZ’s raw milk cottage industry feared as new rules introduced. NZ Farmer, April 26, 2016. http://bit.ly/2qsSI9r.

32. Jooste J. New Zealand dairy farmers use glass bottles and vending machines to sell raw milk from the farm. ABC News, February 8, 2015. http://ab.co/2rIwXqv.

33. Ministry for Primary Industries [New Zealand]. New requirements for the sale and production of raw milk. http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/industry/sectors/dairy/raw-milk/.

34. Raw milk. Consumer, June 30, 2016. http://bit.ly/2qoVVHO.

35. Salt L. From the cow to the coffee cup. The Mercury Bay Informer, September 30, 2015, p. 6. http://bit.ly/2qoCCOO.

36. Dolly’s Milk. http://www.dollysmilk.co.nz/dollys/.

37. Wilkins A. Raw milk vending machine an udder success for Canterbury farmer. Newshub, May 31, 2017. http://bit.ly/2oTam5W.

38. Jersey Girl Organics. https://jerseygirlorganics.co.nz/.

39. Organic Dairy Farm BnB. https://www.booking.com/hotel/nz/organic-dairy-farm-bnb.html.

RAW MILK VENDING MACHINES IN NEW ZEALAND

In New Zealand, according to a raw milk dairy called Village Milk, “enthusiasm for real milk has been growing” by leaps and bounds.¹³ The company’s website notes that “people love the taste, the health benefits and supporting their local farmer.” Village Milk sells raw milk and helps other farmers who wish to produce “the best, highest quality raw drinking milk possible,” including providing advice on using dispensing machines.

There are more than sixty raw milk producers in New Zealand, and the number continues to grow.³¹ Until last year, New Zealand’s dairy farmers could sell raw milk under a fifty-year-old law that allowed remote and rural customers to buy milk from their local farmer.³² Unfortunately, new regulations were introduced in March 2016 that could endanger smaller-scale raw milk producers.³¹ Under the new regulations,³³ raw milk producers must file and pay for reports from a dairy assessor, complete various application forms and furnish documentation from a food quality standards agency.³¹ Dairy farmer Tim Jopson, who supplies three hundred customers with raw milk from a vending machine, estimates that his current administrative costs will more than double to ensure compliance with the regulations.³¹ According to Jopson, a dairy would need to produce at least six thousand liters annually to cover the cost, and this will be “the death of the cottage industry-style suppliers with less than six cows who rely solely on their raw milk sales income.”³¹ On the other hand, the new rules will allow for home delivery of fresh milk and remove an existing five-liter limit per customer. The chairman of the Raw Milk Producers Association of New Zealand, Ray Ridings, mostly supports the new regulations but believes that the regulators overstepped their bounds by eliminating collection points that have expanded consumer access.³⁴ Ridings nonetheless states, “It’s important our industry has some regulations because the danger of having cowboys selling raw milk puts everyone at risk—both consumers and responsible producers.”³⁴

A number of New Zealand farmers are using vending machines to sell raw milk. For example:

• Village Milk, owned by Mark Houston in Golden Bay, has on-farm sales of up to three hundred liters of raw milk a day from the farm’s raw milk vending machines. Houston reports that he has never had a “health scare” in four years of operation.³² The dairy’s website offers consumers recipes for mozzarella cheese, kefir, homemade butter, yogurt, milk punch and smoothies.¹³

• Carl and Jeannette Storey from Whitianga are “living their dream” operating a small “boutique operation” with a planned herd size of thirty Ayrshire cows. They purchased a raw milk vending machine to sell their milk. They also foresee selling soft cheese, yogurt and fresh fruit ice cream.³⁵

• Pete and Margaret Dalziel of certified organic Dolly’s Milk in New Plymouth produce raw milk (“straight from the teat”) from their large herd of Friesian-Jersey crosses. They also distribute vending machines manufactured in the Czech Republic. With a “Dolly’s card,” consumers can purchase milk at a cheaper price.³⁶

• In Christchurch, farmer Mark Williams sells fifty liters a day of Aylesbury Creamery milk from his herd of ten cows. He has been so successful that he plans to double his herd.³⁷

• Jersey Girl Organics at Cleavedale Farms in Matamata sells milk (“straight from our herd to you”) that is pasteurized but not homogenized. The Jersey herd grazes on organic pasture. Jersey Girl Organics maintains dispensing machines in two locations and also sells their milk in a variety of retail outlets.³⁸

Raw milk farm tourism has caught on in New Zealand as well. Breakfast at the Organic Dairy Farm BnB, located in Mangawhai in the Northland (featured on Booking.com), includes raw milk, yogurt and butter.³⁹

About the Author

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Claiming Consumer Rights–Raw Milk Vending Machines in Europe

Real Milk — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 21:03:28 +0000

At the Second Annual International Raw Milk Symposium, Claiming Consumer Rights, held in Madison, Wisconsin on April 10, 2010, Dr. Sylvia Onusic shared with Symposium participants her experiences with raw milk and raw milk vending machines in Europe in her presentation, “European Raw Milk Perspectives.” The audio and power point files are shared with you here; see links at the end of this page. She first encountered the machines in Slovenia in 2009 and wrote more about them on her blog, Taste of Slovenia.

Raw milk vending machines started to appear in Europe around 2006. There are now many companies producing the machines, and thousands of the machines in operation throughout the world (but none in the U.S.) They have become important enough to generate major marketing reports forecasting production, sales and analysis.

The consumer can access raw milk safely 24 hours a day by using the vending machine system which keeps the milk cold and monitored constantly. Safeguards are built in so that only the farmer and officials can access the milk container. But the consumer also has the responsibility to store and handle the milk safely after they purchase it from the machine.

Dr. Onusic wrote an update on raw milk vending machines for the 2017 summer issue of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts accompanied by a short summary of raw milk vending machine use in New Zealand. Farmers are now selling not only their milk but their cheeses and other products via the vending machine system.

Also attached via links at the end of this page is the power point and audio presentation for, “Do the Europeans Do it Better? Dairy Policy and Programs in the EU and Europe,“ from Dr. Onusic’s 2011 presentation at the Third Annual Raw Milk Symposium, Producer, Consumer, Choice, held in Bloomington Minnesota on May 7, 2011. At that time there were quotas for milk production in the European Union (EU) which have now been abolished resulting in an increase in the amount of available milk. Many farmers now sell a significant amount of milk through the raw milk vending machines which have become important in providing consumer access to raw milk.

PowerPoint: European Raw Milk Perspectives 2010 Raw Milk Symposium
Audio:

PowerPoint: Do the Europeans Do it Better 2011 Raw Milk Symposium
Audio:

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Raw Milk Petition in Canada Gains Momentum

Real Milk — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 18:07:09 +0000

By Liz Reitzig

New developments in Canada are indicative of raw milk’s growing appeal to the people of Canada. Canadian citizen, Cory Harris, has launched a petition campaign for the Minister of Health. The petition states, in part:

“We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Minister of Health to Modernize and amend the Food and Drugs Act and the corresponding Food and Drug Regulations, to permit the legal sale of, and/or access to, raw (i.e. unpasteurized) milk and milk products through small-scale certified herd share programs, or other such suitable arrangements, capable of managing any associated health risks in a responsible and reasonable manner.”

This petition is required to be brought before the House of Commons if it reaches five hundred signatures before the end date. The petition is over 3,000 signatures with an August 11, 2016 deadline. The Canadian government is required to respond within 45 days to each petition that is read in the House of Commons.

To get greatest notice on this, we would like to be the top petition on the site. This would send the message loud and clear that it is past time the Canadian government reevaluates its outdated position on the prohibition of fresh milk. Make your stand with us. https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-289.

This article was published in the Summer 2016 issue of Wise Traditions, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

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Raw Milk Cheese is Heating Up

Real Milk — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 14:00:07 +0000

What the International Cheese Market is Telling us About Demand for Artisanal Raw Milk Cheese

With the ever-increasing popularity of raw milk, raw milk cheese is also gaining notoriety. The FDA’s current policies are not friendly to imported or domestically made raw milk cheeses. So a growing population turns to a black market for these artisanal cheeses.

Apparently, this issue is larger than a US cheese crisis.

According to the January 7, 2016 article in Vogue, “Earlier last year, a criminal cheese gang made international headlines when the Russian police busted it for hauling $30 million of contraband cheddar. With Vladimir Putin’s ban on Western food products, Russians have been getting creative about procuring their beloved banned cheeses. Sound nutty? The U.S. also has a list of banned cheeses—primarily because of health concerns—resulting in a black market where cheese delicacies can be had if you know where to look and are willing to pay up.”

The fact that a publication such as Vogue is picking up on the raw milk cheese black market is evidence that the government’s prohibition on the coveted cheeses is weakening. It is encouraging to see the attitude shifting enough that people are taking control of their own food choices.

With many resources available for people to connect directly with their farmer, people are empowered to use networking to secure the foods of their choice from the producers of their choice.

Now that raw milk has gained in popularity and supply, but is still heavily regulated, many people turn to cheese making classes to learn how to make the delicacies of raw milk cheese for themselves. Farms, buying clubs, herdshares and homesteads are making it easier to find raw milk. Cow, goat, sheep and Italian water buffalo milk each make a special raw milk cheese.

Linda and Larry Faillace, expert farmers and artisan cheese makers, teach classes on a wide range of cheeses. The popularity of their classes proves that despite tough regulations, raw milk cheese is a growing trend. Their classes offer the best antidote to the bans so that those who want to can experience the delight of the traditional, celebrated cheeses.

Do you need a source for fresh, raw milk for your own cheese-making? We have just the resource for you!

To learn more about raw milk and other nutrient dense foods, visit westonaprice.org

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Breakthrough in Microbiology Testing Will Reduce Spoilage and Save Money for Global Dairy Industry

Real Milk — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 14:00:52 +0000

Oculer Technology, an Irish dairy tech company, has revealed a ground-breaking detection system that can identify thermoduric bacteria in as little as 24 hours, down from the global standard of 72 hours. Thermoduric bacteria is naturally occurring and can survive the pasteurization process, resulting in early spoilage and reduced protein concentrations.

According to Farming Life, this development could “…save the dairy industry in Ireland up to €200 million annually through reduced farmer penalties, superior product shelf-life and enhanced protein concentration.” Not only can early detection reduce early spoilage of products to increase their shelf-life, but it can also eliminate the bacteria entirely in other milk-related products like milk powder to be used in baby formula.

Oculer is already working with dairy industries in other countries, including New Zealand, to implement this testing technology and has the potential to reach dairy markets across the globe.

To learn more about raw milk and other nutrient dense foods, visit westonaprice.org

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Raw Milk Rights in British Columbia

Real Milk — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 17:13:42 +0000

This article originally appeared in the Rural Observer March 2015 Issue (page 13)

Local Food Rights

by Linda Morken

Do you think our local farmers have the right to produce raw milk, and do British Columbia consumers have the right to buy it?

Why do consumers want raw milk?

Aside from the superior taste differences, there is mounting evidence that probiotic-rich raw milk is a health-enhancing food and that its vital elements are destroyed by pasteurization and processing. Raw milk therapy is currently a well-used protocol in German hospitals, just as it was in the early 1900’s at the then named Mayo Foundation when the ‘raw milk cure’ was used as successful therapy for hopeless cases. Raw milk can truly be a life-saving food and has been shown to help with asthma, allergies and many other conditions.

Why do farmers want the right to produce raw milk?

Thirty years ago, BC had over 4,000 dairy farms, today there are 480 and declining. Small local dairies boost the economy and selling milk, butter and cream can actually be what saves the family farm. One small farm can easily employ five full-time staff and more. Farmers have been denied fair markets for their dairy products for more than a century in Canada. Farm families are deprived of making an honest living. Because of a food regulation that doesn’t apply to many other higher risk foods, farmers that produce traditional raw milk risk going to jail and ludicrous fines that can mean losing their farms.

But is raw milk safe?

No one will argue that in days long gone there were serious problems with swill milk that came from sick cows in deplorable, dirty conditions. However, with proper standards and modern testing with a food safety plan (such as with a Risk Analysis and Management Program – RAMP), regulated raw milk can be extremely safe. In fact, raw milk is deemed to be no more risky than eating spinach. Raw milk isn’t risk free, but it is a low risk food. This conclusion was documented in a Grand Rounds presentation at BC’s own Centre for Disease Control last year by researcher Nadine Ijaz. Modern safety checks and methods ensure healthy cows and clean milk. Making raw milk sales legal and regulated is a way to achieve these standards.

The non-profit Weston A. Price Foundation (for which I am a volunteer Chapter Leader for Victoria and area) has advocated for the legal sale of safe, raw milk for many years. Their Campaign for Real Milk has been instrumental in the fact that raw milk is now legally available in 40 American states and in many countries the world over. In this time of never-before-seen numbers of children suffering from chronic, degenerative diseases, the awareness that raw milk is a nourishing and healing food is growing. The demand for it is large and won’t be stopping any time soon.

Canada is the only G8 Country that restricts 100% access to farm fresh milk. Many European countries even dispense raw milk in vending machines. I believe it is long past time to change this regulation and bring British Columbia to a place where the need for raw milk is acknowledged and the rights of its citizens to produce and access this traditional food are respected.

What Can You Do?

If you feel that the regulations around the production and consumption of raw milk should be changed in British Columbia, your help is needed. I urge you to write to BC’s Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Terry Lake, and ask him to please remove clause 2(a) from the Health Hazards Regulation. This is the law which classifies raw milk as a “health hazard,” and “causing a health hazard” in BC can lead to fines of up to $3 million dollars or 3 years in jail under the Public Health Act. Health authority inspectors use this law to shut down herdshares, even if no illness has ever been caused. All that is needed to change this regulation is the Honourable Minister’s signature on a Minister’s Order. His mailing address is:

The Honourable Terry Lake
Room 337
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Also, if you want to support this food rights issue in BC, consider joining and volunteering with the BC Herdshare Association. This is a lobby group that is working to change the law by removing raw milk out from under the control of the BC Milk Marketing Board and making herdshares exempt from the Milk Industry Act.

If you need more information about raw milk, please take a look at this site: www.realmilk.com. It may be the encyclopedia of milk issues and certainly can be considered as the source of any raw milk facts I have written about here.

This article is intended to be for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other health care professional. The nutritional and other information are not intended to be and do not constitute health care or medical advice.

Linda Morken is a Volunteer Chapter Leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation, Victoria Chapter. Contact Linda via email wapf.victoria.bc@shaw.ca or visit the chapter
web page: http://chapters.westonaprice.org/victoriabc/ or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wapfvancouverislandchapter

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