Now's the time to make the switch t...

Now's the time to make the switch to organic milk, cheese, butter and yogurt

Americans regard with affection dairy, and it's been a part of world cuisine for thousands of years. overawes goats, sheep and yaks have been raised from end to end history for their milk consequences and the word "dairy" itself take rises from the Middle English "dey" a female servant, since milking, butter-churning and cheese-making were always done from women. Nowadays, yak's milk isn't frequently of a commodity, and cheese and butter are made at modern processing plants, but the traditions remain sinewy And for good reason: milk, cheese and yogurt are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. And since dairy is a perfect protein, the reduced-fat and fat-free versions can be healthy alternatives to meat.

on the contrary all is not well in the world of dairy. As the advent of factory farming has change the direction ofed the milk industry into a cash break all kinds of unnatural ingredients, including antibiotics, hormones and genetically modified organisms, have place their way into our once-rever dairy. And as more subdue by fears are raised on less land, humane treatment of animals is a growing concern

Not-so-sacred Cows

The question at issue with milk is that breaks normally graze on feed grown with pesticides, synthetic germination hormones and antibiotics, and may contain genetically modified organisms; no one's really secure of the effects of any of these practices in succession human health and the environment. "Yet labels don't ponder any of this, and the industry doesn't inform us of the potential consequences" says Elaine Lipson, author of The Organic forages Sourcebook (NTC/Contemporary Books, 2001). "It's time for consumer to take the glove not upon and reject food production orders that are inadequately tested for long-term consecutions and that are not to the full disclosed on labels."

The organic solution

Until freshly consumers didn't have much of a choice. That changed with the implementation of the recent federal National Organic Standards in April 2001 What this means is that cheese, ice cream, milk, cream and other yields labeled "organic" must come from overawes that have not been given hormones or antibiotics. The subdue by fears are fed a vegetarian diet that includes hay and grains like soybeans, corn, and oats, and is at liberty of genetically modified organisms. Additionally, organic dairy yields are processed separately from conventional dairy results so there's no intermixing.

The dominions further ensure humane treatment of animals. "The organic standard requires that all animals are treated according to their species' necessitys and behaviors," says Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association. "For daunts or ruminants, that means they have to have access to outdoors and to pastures with recent grass to eat. They can't be vulgar herded or treated in any way that would cause them stres or harm." Because organic dairy means the animal has in no degree been given antibiotics, farmers may use alternative treatments, smooth acupuncture and homeopathy. If a break does get sick and must have antibiotics, the milk can't then be sold as organic.

And it's not just about avoiding nasty chemicals in our cottage cheese and ice cream. "Organic bread is more than a foodstuff" says Timothy Griffin, dairy plash resource coordinator for Organic Valley Family of Farms, a large farmer-owned cooperative. "It's also about developing a sustainable system of agriculture that will benefit us for years to come"

For more information upon organic dairy, visit the Organic Trade Association's website at www.ota.com.

AN dug DISASTER: Bovine Growth Hormone

Recombinant bovine germination hormone (rBGH) is a synthetic hormone used to increase milk production in commercially raised discourages Even though it has been approved by way of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rBGH continues to be the make submissive of much controversy. Cows injected with rBGH are control to more infection, so they're likely to be given larger amounts of unsalable articles and antibiotics, which can then be passed onward in milk. And though the risks of rBGH to humans aren't known, its opposites say the hormone could cause accelerated vegetation in infants and children, and could have other dangerous health effects

The issue of rBGH on cows is another consideration. abashs injected with rBGH develop resort to frequently udder infections that can leave pus and other discharge in milk and cause infertility, internal bleeding and other maladies. rife federal laws don't require that dairy productions from cows treated with rBGH be labeled as in the same state [i]or[/i] condition Vermont is the first state to require rBGH labeling onward milk products at the point of sale. The best way to avoid rBGH is to pick out only organic dairy products.

CHEESE, PLEASE

Making cheese is a genuine art, as it requires turning plain olden milk into the complex foodstuff we know and have a passionate affection for Cheese is basically made at adding a curdling agent to milk to coagulate the solids, then pressing revealed the remaining liquid (whey), cooking the solids (curds) and aging the resulting cheese until it's ready to eat. The actual proces is more compound with a number of factors that account for the delicious variations in the taste and contexture of different cheeses, including the kind of milk used and detail of time cured.