Is Organic Milk Really Better?

We scrutinize every little thing we eat or drink these days: shopping trips that used to include impulse buys of cheese-flavored chips or sodas now shun those HFCS-laden goods and turn instead to all organics and local products when possible. So it goes without saying that we buy organic milk. But we've heard it might not be all it's cracked up to be...

We appreciate the benefits of organic milk for the environment: there are no growth hormones, and the milk comes from cows that are (one hopes) treated more humanely than their non-organic counterparts--plus, we think it tastes better. However, we've read that processing organic milk involves higher temperatures, which can kill some of the good bacteria.

That said, the risks associated with ingesting milk from cows given growth hormones sound...more terrifying than not getting all of one's healthy enzymes for the day.

We read up on a few sites and came to the conclusion that organic milk is best for us. What about you?

Sources:
The Regal Courier
Care 2
MSNBC

(Image: Amber Byfield for Re-Nest.)

Comments (14)

I prefer organic milk. I actually think it tastes better.

I also think organic milk tastes better. Organic producers also tend to package their milk using more sustainable practices. Our organic producer is also local, which is important to me as well.

it's more complicated than just organic vs. not organic, as amber and scottu have alluded to. there's the packaging, how local they are, and the pasteurization process. i have been very happy with a local-ish (within a few hundred miles) organic producer that uses vat pasteurization, which heats at a lower temperature but for a longer period of time (preserving nutrients but still killing germs) and have loved it, but it spoils quickly (within 5 days or so from opening, rather than over a week).

I use solely organic milk and milk products but have read recently that national organic brands may not be good for the contracted farmers. I'm now only buying local/regional organic milk wherever I can.

Oh boy. I don't even know where to begin.

First, the statement that high temperatures "could kill some of the good bacteria" is astounding. As if good bacteria die off at higher temperatures than bad bacteria. What? Other than raw milk (let's leave that debate for somewhere else shall we), all milk is pasteurized to kill ALL of the bacteria, it's just a matter of whether "all" means 99.99% or 99.99999%. Organic or not has nothing to do with pasteurization temperature, but Horizon and Aurora, the biggest organic milk producers in the country, do use a high temperature process.

The reason why some folks are opposed to ultrapasteurization is not bacteria, but enzymes, more of which are arguably destroyed. To me, the difference between pasteurized and ultrapasteurized is negligible.

Also, there is nothing in the organic standard about humane treatment except for the "access to pasture" business, but considering this can be interpreted to like 10 seconds a week or something, is essentially meaningless as an actual standard. Horizon and Aurora, the two largest producers of organic milk, are under boycots from the Organic Consumers Association because of they are essentially industrial producers when it comes to production methods, for better or worse.

I don't buy much milk, but I do buy organic. Though I'm not really convinced about all the benefits, milk is such a central part of our agricultural economy that moving it in the right direction is important to me. It's probably not worth the extra money, but I do it anyway.

I only drink organic milk from local producers I cannot tell you how much better it taste. If you see the conditions of the cows in mass produced milk you would probably not ever drink that kind of milk again.

when we get to the farmer's market, we get local, organic, raw whole milk. in my opinion...simply the best! I have even had the joy of meeting the cows! we can only get it in small portions and must use it quickly, so generally I need to get regular organic pasteurized milk at the grocery store.

I recently switched to raw, organic milk as well and now feel like a milk snob with anything else.

Here is a blog post I did of where I get my milk share from:

http://read.ossumniss.com/?p=74

I would buy (and have bought in the past) organic milk but I live alone and never manage to finish one container before it spoils. Also, and I would be so happy if someone could explain this to me, organic milk NEVER foams when I make my daily cup of coffee with my espresso machine, which I find extremely frustrating! Soy milk foams better!

I'm sure if organic plays into it, but I get milk delivered from Strauss creamery in glass bottles (via spud.com), and it lasts well over 2 weeks, as compared to the paper cartons. And my bottles get picked up and recycled at the creamery.

organic or not your still drinking animal mucus. Its odd that we are the only animal that continues to drink animal milk after we are weaned from our mothers milk. its bizarre.
especially when there are so many wonderful alternatives. soy, rice, almond, cashew... to name a few.

I've switched to soy, rice, and other grain or nut milks. I'm convinced the health benefits are greater, as the cost to the environment is lessened.

I recently had the opportunity to try some soy milk, too, and I'm liking it. While I've been buying organic milk regularly, soy milk may end up taking its place.