Milk is Milk Blog by Alex Avery
Well, for the past two days the Center for Global Food Issues team has been here at the World Wide Food Expo promoting the Milk is Milk campaign and our Earth Friendly, Farm Friendly eco-label project. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic.
We were visited by several university dairy science teams, who are here to compete in an intercollegiate dairy products evaluation contest, including the Michigan State and South Dakota State teams. The team members eagerly gathered up our informational materials, CDs, and “Milk is Milk” informational cartons. Everyone always loves the milk cartons. (Contact us if you’d like copies!)
The dairy science teams particularly liked our new informational guide to milk labeling claims that explain in clear and simple terms what all of the stuff on milk labels really means-everything from different pasteurization methods to production claims such as organic. All of the university science teams who visited us were supportive of our efforts to educate the public and to rein in predatory marketing.
In fact, the coach of the South Dakota State dairy science team, Dr. Bob Baer, was one of the first to research the question of whether Milk is Milk. Dr. Baer’s research from the late 1980s was the first to demonstrate that milk from cows supplemented with rbST is, in fact, the same as milk from unsupplemented cows. He reminded us that he shared his unvarnished opinion that Milk is Milk with the Journal of the National Institutes of Health way back in 1988 and is surprised that this controversy continues to boil and that so many consumers remain in the dark that Milk is Milk.
Several other university professors also stopped by with encouragement. More than one said things like, “we’re with you all the way” and “finally, somebody is speaking out with the truth on this.” One professor said she intended to place a “Milk is Milk” carton prominently in her office and keep it there to show to skeptical undergraduate students. Another professor, after snatching up our informational CD, said that he was happy there was finally an accurate Web site to which he could refer worried consumers. Righto, professor, we’re happy for the referrals.
All of the visitors to our booth at the Expo were interested to learn of a recent report that a 12-year Swiss university study demonstrated that organic milk is not any better than conventional milk. To the contrary, according to the Swiss researchers, organically produced milk contains more disease-causing bacteria.
On the consumer side of things, several retail food outlets stopped by to gather materials. One highly successful coffee house chain (whose celestially-themed name we’ll refrain from mentioning) stopped by and took informational packets. When we reminded them of the high-profile brouhaha that resulted in their stores stocking and eventually throwing away hundreds of gallons of organic milk for lack of consumer demand, they responded with a wink and a “we can neither confirm nor deny.” Regular readers of the Milk is Milk blog all know that story well by now.
Finally, we were once again warmly greeted by many dairy producers and packagers who couldn’t get enough “StopLabelingLies.com” and “Growing More Food Per Acre Leaves More Land for Nature” bumper stickers. They cleaned us out of “StopLabelingLies” bumper stickers on Day Two!
Thanks to all for your encouraging words and helping to spread the truth that Milk is Milk.