The newspaper The Gardian reported the increase in the use of colostrum (= colostrum milk) as a supplement and the consumption of raw milk in early December 2024.
They stated, ‘Raw milk has received a lot of attention this year, thanks in part to prominent fans such as Robert F Kennedy Jr, the anti-vaccine activist and Donald Trump’s candidate for secretary of health and social services. Supporters claim that raw milk contains more vitamins and minerals than pasteurised milk; the CDC disputes this. Demand has grown so much in the US that more than two dozen states have legalised the sale of raw milk. But food safety experts are ‘absolutely shocked’ by the trend, Dr Marion Nestle, professor emeritus of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University told the Guardian in January. ‘The chances of getting sick from raw milk are higher than the chances of getting sick from pasteurised milk,’ she said.”
Remarkable news, how politics and lobbyists influence, how and what we are allowed to eat and drink. In the US, there are 50 states. In California, for example, raw milk is legally available in shops, with a sell-by date that goes up to 9-10 days!!! In other states, you can only get raw milk if you are a member of a ‘cow-share programme’, if you buy the milk as ‘bath milk’ or ‘milk for your cat’. Illegal ways to get raw milk anyway. It is remarkable, that based on the same scientific findings, the consumption and dangers of raw milk are handled completely differently between states, between continents and between countries in the EU. In Canada, Michael Schmidt was jailed just a few years ago for supplying raw milk directly to consumers for more than 11 years.
It is sometimes beyond explanation, why people have such different interpretations of the benefits of raw milk or how they deal with the dangers of raw milk.
Trump and Kennedy will soon clearly want to leave more to the livestock farmer himself. Of course, no livestock farmer benefits from people getting sick. This immediately damages his or her sales. Therefore, every livestock farmer, who wants to sell raw milk, must and will (have to) do everything possible to produce the raw milk safely. The knowledge of how to do that is available on many farms.
In 2020 a book was published about the journey of Michael Schmidt: Raw Milk, and the search for human kindness. Overcoming fear and complacency. Sarasvaty Press
