Milk Money

Where does your milk dollar go?  Do you buck up for organic?  Go rBGH-free?  Regular?  Raw?  Non/Low/Full-Fat?  Heck, there's even a brand that supports my kid's school.  WAY too many choices - for what should be one of the (few) simple buying decisions at the grocery.

I personally buy organic some of the time (when it's on sale or I have a coupon) but almost always hormone-free.  Thing is, depending on what store I go to (and I frequent many) there are different brands available that make my choices more complicated.

ORGANIC

I'm often tempted by store brand organic milk because it's less expensive.  But have you heard about the Horizon/Aurora Organic boycott?  The Organic Consumer's Association is leading the charge to boycott this company (owned by Dean Foods) because they have been pushing the limits on organic standards by using factory farm feedlots where the animals have little or no access to pasture.

So, if you care about maintaining organic standards, then consider passing on not only the Horizon Organic brand but the private label brands that use the same supplier.  As far as I know, these brands include:  Costco's "Kirkland Signature," Target's "Archer Farm", Walmart's "Great Value", Safeway’s "O" organics brand, Publix’s “High Meadows,”Giant's "Natures Promise," and Wild Oats’ organic milk.

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods "365' brand of organic milk appear to be OK.  Let's hope so anyway! (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about any of this)

If you want to get into some heavy details, check out the Cornucopia Institute's research project on Maintaining the Integrity of Organic Milk.  If not, just enjoy their great graphic illustration of the situation!

Oh, and Organic Milk Really is Healthier! (Treehugger article)

rBGH-FREE

I want to keep this simple. rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is given to cows to increase their milk production.  It is bad for:

• COWS - because it can lead to chronic mastitis (if you've ever breast fed, you know what that means and why you don't EVER want to have it!).  And because of the risk of infection, herds are treated with lots of antibiotics.
• PEOPLE - because the resulting milk has high levels of Insulin-like Growth Hormone (IGF-1).  Research has shown that elevated levels of IGF-1 is linked to an increased risk of breast, colorectal and prostrate cancer.

Use of rBGH is banned in Canada and the European Union.  It's allowed here in the U.S. but the movement to stop using it is getting bigger by the day.  All Trader Joe's milk (organic and non) is rBGH-free.  Starbucks offers rBGH-free milk in all their U.S. stores and is working toward a complete switch.  Kroger is officially rBGH-free in the West and their switch will be nationwide by Feb. 2008.   

Fortunately, rBGH-free milk is easy to find and while you do pay a premium, it is not as spendy as organic.  A good compromise if you ask me.    If you're wondering about other dairy products: butter, cheese, ice cream and yogurt, the Consumer's Guide to rBGH-free dairy products is a great starting point.

OTHER OPTIONS

Most people I know buy 1% or skim.  I buy 2% because it's what I grew up with and what my family likes.  My son had a pediatrician who gave me a hard time about switching to skim.  I switched doctors instead.  I'm not an expert, but I'm not afraid of a little bit of fat.

Anyone out there a raw milk fan?  I've never tried it but I know there are people who think it is MUCH healthier than pasteurized milk.  You can learn more from the Campaign for Real Milk.   

Supporting your School?  Here in Minnesota, I try to buy Kemps Select brand (rBGH-free) because saving the cap means money for Drew's school.  Just one more thing to think about in the complicated process of feeding your family... 

Comments

[Alison]

We buy Organic Valley skim or 1% depending on what is the freshest option at Vitamin Cottage. We are in Colorado (original home to Horizon & Aurora) and my gut feeling is that Aurora is now in it for the $$ and not for the ethics. Supposedly, my Colorado Organic Valley Milk actually comes from a big, but friendly family dairy outside of Colorado Springs.

[Tracy]

We have organic semi-skimmed milk delivered in returnable glass bottles by the milkman 3 times a week. That's for the kids and my husband. I have soya milk in my tea and on cereal, that I buy organic in a tetrapak container that is now finally recyclable in our part of the world (UK).

[izzy's mama]

Alison: You are so lucky to have a milkman. I have been dreaming of that. We had one when I was little.

I buy Stoneyfield Farms, Organic Valley or RonnyBrook Farms which is local and comes in returnable glass bottles. I have access to a raw milk co-op but I hesitate to join because I don't know enough about the farm. I used to buy 2% but I have recently switched to whole milk (better for making yogurt).

Why does your doctor want your kids to drink skim milk? That seems very '70's!

[Greenstylemom]

I'm in Colorado also. We get our milk delivered. It isn't organic but is hormone and antibiotic free. It is also the best darn milk I've ever tasted. I'm glad to know about Horizon. Sometimes we need milk between deliveries, and I usually get Horizon. I'll switch to Organic Valley.

[Riana]

I love RAW milk, I grew up on a farm so I was raised drinking milk warm from the cow. Now, I buy it from a farmer (I live in France so it's a bit easier to do) each Sunday. I also make cheese and yogurt with it.

Good for you for switching doctors! I am skinny and have been drinking raw milk and eating all the cheese I want all my life, I think a little natural fat is good for you.

Oddly, I can't stand any kind of treated milk. It tastes like plastic to me.

[Shanna]

We buy Organic Valley 1% (for me to drink) or whole (for cooking, and eventually for the kids to drink when they are introduced to cow's milk) whenever possible. If Organic Valley is not available (and I was so happy when our local Trader Joe's, which I can walk to, started carrying it!), I'll default to TJ's or Whole Foods' store brand organic, or Stoneyfield Farms if I am at another store. I cannot stomach 2% milk, and skim leaves me feeling unsatisfied, so I have to switch brands rather than percentages if OV1% isn't around.

Yogurt we get organic, either Trader Joe's or Stoneyfield Farms (depending on what store I'm in).

I try to get all other dairy products rGBH-free. It's a little tricky with some cheeses, since we keep kosher, but so far the only real hurdles I can't seem to beat are on American cheese (which I use as one of the four or five different cheeses in my macaroni and cheese) and ricotta cheese (which KILLS me, because I love lasagna). I occasionally still pick up some random cheese spread or whatever that doesn't declare itself rGBH/rbst-free, but I'm getting better at avoiding it. I tried to go organic (OV brand again) on cottage cheese and sour cream, but found I truly dislaked the taste of the former and could never find the latter.

I absolutely would not put my children on skim milk until they were old enough to request it. 1%, yes (after age two or three). One of the benefits of milk over other beverages (just talking juice here, not sweetened soft drinks) is that it contains protein and fat, which will help you feel full/satisfied for a longer period of time (for the same calories as an equal quantity of, say, orange juice). Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[swirlingnotions]

Thanks for posting this. It is confusing, and it helps so much to read something like this that sorts everything out a bit.

Personally, I drink Straus Family Farms from Marin County, although I have a love/hate relationship with their cute glass bottles. Love that they're glass (and that they're cute). Hate that they can suck up the space of an entire bookshelf before I'll remember to haul them back to the store. ;-)

[kimberly]

We tried to buy organic milk once our daughter turned one. It upset her tummy something awful! We've tried to switch to organic milk periodically over the past few years with the same result, upset stomach. My husband and I love how fresh the milk tastes but can't afford giving it to our daughter due to how she reacts to it. I envy those of you who can drink it.

[matt]

Thank you so much for posting about this. I did not know about the Horizon boycott - and we buy a ton of milk for our boys!

Great info.. thanks.