Deadline 2008: raw milk under threat in California - SB 201: clarifying product

[Guest guest]

_Deadline 2008: raw milk under threat in California_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2007/11/02/deadline-2008-raw-milk-under-threat-in-\

california/)

_http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standard

s-for-raw-milk/_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/)

Yo California — we've got a problem

 

 

_SB 201: clarifying production standards for raw milk_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/)

by _George Vigil_ (http://wewantorganicfood.com/author/george/) , June 14,

2008

 

 

 

Say what you will about raw milk, and there are naysayers — especially

emanating from the smear-and-fear propagandists who work in the Food and Drug

Administration — but Senator Dean Florez is spearheading a California State

Bill

201 which will bring sanity into the safe production and selling of raw milk

in California.

This follows the hubbub raised after the California Department of Food and

Agriculture snuck through a middle-of-the-night unnannounced AB 1735, which

required an arbitrary but low limit to the number of coliform bacteria (many of

which are non-harmful/beneficial) in raw milk but no pathogen testing, then

the _passing of AB 1604_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/01/20/raw-milk-ab-1604-passes-unanimously-in-\

the-california-agriculture-committee/) by the

California Agriculture Committee the retraction of the blocking, followed by the

April 15, 2008 joint hearing by California Senators Dean Florez and Abel

Maldonado AB 1735 — to which the CDFA were invited but which the CDFA famously

refused to attend.

Taken from Organic Pastures’ recent newsletter, _Senate Bill #201 Comes to

Life_ (http://organicpastures.com/e_letter_13_post.html) :

SB 201 pioneers standards and regulatory protections that:

* are the first in the nation.

* are holistic in addressing every critical process in the dairy.

* provide greater protections for consumers than the standards

currently in law.

* promote consumer choice in California by keeping raw milk available

on store shelves.

* increase food safety protections to ensure that the raw milk sold in

California is the safest in the nation.

 

And, further, under SB 201:

* Raw milk must be tested for pathogens eight times more often.

* Each raw milk dairy must provide independent lab samples twice per

week.

* CDFA must test directly for the pathogens that cause illness in

humans at least once per month.

* CDFA may take raw milk samples from any location.

* Raw milk dairies may not receive milk from non-raw milk dairies; the

protections put into place by SB 201 cannot be circumvented by receiving

milk from a dairy not subject to these stringent requirements.

 

And reading a synopsis of the actions to be implemented, we — the consuming

public who enjoy our organic raw milk — greatly appreciate Senator Florez and

Senator Perata as well as California State Assembly persons Berryhill and

Parra for their good efforts at democracy. In fact, hearing about their actions

is quite a relief! They are bringing into existence a law that applies to

the here and now. They see that milk production can be done safely. They see

that what is needed is a set of laws and compliances ensuring safe milk sold to

the public. And they are throwing off the inapplicable fixed ideas and

incomplete hit-and-miss standards generally applied to ALL milk by the CDFA that

apply to the previous century and its inadequate practices.

These legislators also see the wisdom of offering a choice to their

constituency, as opposed to the ONLY product that can be purchased is cooked

milk

that is still not verified as safe to consume.

Since I don’t and will not drink pasteurized milk, it’s probably up to

those California State citizens to demand from the pasteurized milk industry

that

they sell safe milk too. Maybe they can make the California State lawmakers

pass a similar bill that makes pasteurized milk safer too.

All of California society is really being taken care of with SB 201: the raw

organic milk dairies here get to continue producing a food that is ACTUALLY

good for us all. And we get to consume it and do better physically. When we

do better physically, we tend not to get ill. We get to observe our State

legislators actually doing something beneficial — as opposed to AB 1735,

which

was a fast one pulled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture,

although I’m of the opinion that there should be a law passed where

legislators

should be made to fully read and fully understand EACH law they pass, not

relegating their understanding to a subordinate; after all, it is they who were

voted in to represent their constituency.

Who knows! Maybe, just maybe, SB 201 can be used by other States that wish

to see their citizens in better health by drinking raw organic milk produced

from grazing-on-grass cows — not in stalls! Just maybe there are legislators

in other States who see through the black propaganda against raw organic milk,

and want to allow dairies to SAFELY produce raw organic milk and give their

people a choice. Sorry! Cooking milk does NOT eradicate pathogens. (See

December 2007 article, _Two People Die After Drinking Listeria Tainted Milk In

Massachusetts_

(http://www.listeriablog.com/2007/12/articles/listeria-watch/two-people-die-afte\

r-drinking-listeria-tainted-milk-in-massachusetts-consumers-urged

-not-to-drink-milk-products-from-whittier-farms/) from " processed milk " …

which means pasteurized milk.)

There will be a blueprint — SB 201. It can be used as a pilot program that

can be improved upon as will our health. The direction is definitely an

IMPROVEMENT!

The rumormongers and PHD’s who are stuck in the past can keep and hold on to

their negative opinions about raw organic milk. They can continue to teach

their opinions by way of their status as authorities on the subject. But safe

milk IS SAFE MILK! And safe milk is what is important! I’ll be drinking safe

uncooked milk — thank you! But you’re entitled to your opinion.

Note: we’re not out of the woods yet. According to the article, jointly

issued by Organic Pastures Dairy Company and Claravale Dairy:

Because SB 201 will be designated as an urgency bill, it will go into effect

immediately after being signed by the Governor. The challenge of an urgency

bill, however, is that we need a 2/3 majority, rather than a simple majority,

for the bill to pass. This is why your support is crucial! The California

raw milk supply is threatened by AB 1735 and if SB 201 is not passed and signed

into law your ability to buy raw milk and dairy products from Claravale and

OPDC is in jeopardy. It took just 75 days for the CDFA to stop raw cream from

being sold earlier this year based on AB 1735 standards.

It’s important that we all do our bit to show our support. _See the request

at Organic Pastures’ website_

(http://organicpastures.com/e_letter_13_post.html) .

_http://organicpastures.com/e_letter_13_post.html_

(http://organicpastures.com/e_letter_13_post.html)

Comments for " SB 201: clarifying production standards for raw milk "

1. _Diane Vigil_ (http://wewantorganicfood.com/)

Comment posted on 06/14/08 @ _4:54 am_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-908)

It looks hopeful for AB 201, although I’m not sure I’d like to hold my

breath since David Gumpert over at TheCompletePatient.com notes that the

Associated Press has just published an anti-raw milk article. And, since many

publications don’t do their own research (or, it appears, even their own

writing)

but instead re-publish the AP’s articles, we’ll be seeing that everywhere.

That said, Mr. Gumpert (who worked earlier as a journalist and is, I must

say, very thorough), says: _Here’s a Prediction: Organic Pastures Will Still

Be

Around When the AP Is a Footnote in History_

(http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2008/6/13/heres-a-prediction-organic-\

pastures-will-still-be-around-w

he.html) .

Why? Because they’re out of touch. That’s the problem, too, with this

Internet thingy … Mainstream Media is no longer in complete control of all

news

broadcast to the rest of us. Bummer for them. Because the rest of us can pretty

easily have a voice, and we’re talking and listening.

2. nina lepage

Comment posted on 06/14/08 @ _9:23 pm_ (http://wewanto

rganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-for-raw-milk/#c\

omment-926)

In Sweden they are recommending the milk that comes from pasture fed cows!

It is much more nutritious.

3. _Diane Vigil_ (http://wewantorganicfood.com/)

Comment posted on 06/15/08 @ _1:55 am_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-933)

Thanks, Nina, and welcome to We Want Organic Food!

That’s the general idea here, too. Although some folks don’t see the value

in pasture-grazed cows, and the USDA was debating whether to _amend its

organic guidelines to include milk from non-pasture-grazed cows_

(http://ga3.org/campaign/pasture) , it doesn’t take too much reasoning to see

that milk from

healthy cows allowed to graze and live as they would naturally is more

nourishing than milk from cows confined in corrals with nothing but dirt and

unsanitary conditions. Our _Key to Safe Raw Milk from Cows_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/01/26/key-to-safe-raw-milk-from-cows/)

discusses just this issue.

4. _Raw Milk Road Trip! « Cheese Slave_

(http://cheeseslave.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/raw-milk-road-trip/)

Pingback posted on 06/21/08 @ _10:57 am_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-1030)

[…] Read more about SB 201 here. Comments for " SB 201: clarifying

production standards for raw milk "

1. _Diane Vigil_ (http://wewantorganicfood.com/)

Comment posted on 06/14/08 @ _4:54 am_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-908)

It looks hopeful for AB 201, although I’m not sure I’d like to hold my

breath since David Gumpert over at TheCompletePatient.com notes that the

Associated Press has just published an anti-raw milk article. And, since many

publications don’t do their own research (or, it appears, even their own

writing)

but instead re-publish the AP’s articles, we’ll be seeing that everywhere.

That said, Mr. Gumpert (who worked earlier as a journalist and is, I must

say, very thorough), says: _Here’s a Prediction: Organic Pastures Will Still

Be

Around When the AP Is a Footnote in History_

(http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2008/6/13/heres-a-prediction-organic-\

pastures-will-still-be-around-w

he.html) .

Why? Because they’re out of touch. That’s the problem, too, with this

Internet thingy … Mainstream Media is no longer in complete control of all

news

broadcast to the rest of us. Bummer for them. Because the rest of us can pretty

easily have a voice, and we’re talking and listening.

2. nina lepage

Comment posted on 06/14/08 @ _9:23 pm_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-926)

In Sweden they are recommending the milk that comes from pasture fed cows!

It is much more nutritious.

3. _Diane Vigil_ (http://wewantorganicfood.com/)

Comment posted on 06/15/08 @ _1:55 am_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-933)

Thanks, Nina, and welcome to We Want Organic Food!

That’s the general idea here, too. Although some folks don’t see the value

in pasture-grazed cows, and the USDA was debating whether to _amend its

organic guidelines to include milk from non-pasture-grazed cows_

(http://ga3.org/campaign/pasture) , it doesn’t take too much reasoning to see

that milk from

healthy cows allowed to graze and live as they would naturally is more

nourishing than milk from cows confined in corrals with nothing but dirt and

unsanitary conditions. Our _Key to Safe Raw Milk from Cows_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/01/26/key-to-safe-raw-milk-from-cows/)

discusses just this issue.

4. _Raw Milk Road Trip! « Cheese Slave_

(http://cheeseslave.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/raw-milk-road-trip/)

Pingback posted on 06/21/08 @ _10:57 am_

(http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/06/14/sb-201-clarifying-production-standards-\

for-raw-milk/#comment-1030)

[…] Read more about SB 201 here.

_http://cheeseslave.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/raw-milk-road-trip/_

(http://cheeseslave.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/raw-milk-road-trip/)