Comments on: Dr. Kradjian writes to his patients about milk. Is cow’s milk pure? http://www.heenamodi.com/2008/08/29/dr-kradjian-writes-to-his-patients-about-milk-is-cows-milk-pure/ thinking globally, acting locally Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:58:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Heena Modi http://www.heenamodi.com/2008/08/29/dr-kradjian-writes-to-his-patients-about-milk-is-cows-milk-pure/comment-page-1/#comment-2360 Heena Modi Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:45:06 +0000 http://www.heenamodi.com/?p=306#comment-2360 So if conventional milk isn't good for us should we go organic? Is it a better option? Here's what the Ethical Consumer says about organic alternatives: - http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersGuides/fooddrink/yoghurtdairysoya.aspx) Soil Association certified products are better for the environment and for the consumer in terms of avoiding much of the antibiotics, hormones and GM feed used in conventional milk production. But do they offer a better deal for the cows? There are no guidelines for the length of time organic dairy cows may be housed indoors, but completely indoor systems are prohibited. Highly invasive practices such as embryo transfer are forbidden but artificial insemination is allowed. Fertility hormones are prohibited for synchronising calving but not for bringing an infertile cow into heat. Calves must be group housed after seven days old. Castration with a rubber ring is allowed within the first week of life. Disbudding (permanently preventing horn growth by applying a hot iron to the horn-forming tissue) is allowed up to 3 months. Calves can't be taken to market under one month old, but after this, eight hour journeys are allowed. Organic cows are still impregnated each year to provide a continuous supply of milk and separated from their calves within 24-72 hours of birth. The scheme also allows unwanted calves to be killed soon after birth (1). References 1 The Dark Side of Dairy, a Viva! Report by Toni Vernelli BSc Animal Biology and Conservation, 2005 2 Wrecking The Planet, Joni Seager, The State of The Environment Atlas, Penguin Books, 1995 3 Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine www.pcrm.org, viewed on 21/10/05 4 www.food.gov.uk, viewed on 4/11/05 5 www.viva.org.uk, viewed on 4/11/05 6 www.purifymind.com/Hippo, viewed on 4/11/05 7 Corporate Watch newsletter: issue 24, June/July 05 8 Breaking the Rules, International Baby Food Action Network, 2004 9 www.itfglobal.org, viewed on 8/11/05 10 Earth Island Journal: Winter 2002/Vol17 11 Responsible Shopper website: Dean Foods viewed on 02/02/05 12 Ethical Consumer: 85 October/November 2003 13 Who Owns Whom: 2003/2004 14 The Ecologist: May 2003 15 The Ecologist: December 2004 16 Companies that test on animals, PETA, July 2004 17Breaking the Rules: 2004 18 Corporate Watch newsletter: issue 22, Feb/March 2005 19 BUAV Factsheet E3 Cosmetics Companies Guide, November 2004 20 Power Hungry - six reasons to regulate global food corporations: ActionAid report 2005 21 Ecolinks Boycott list - www.ecolinks.net, viewed on 25/02/03 22 www.oilpackers.com, viewed on 8/11/05 23 www.scconline.org, viewed on 11/10/05 24 Yeo Valley Group Corporate Communications: �Minimising Our Impact on the Environment' 2005 < br>25 www.notmilk.com, viewed on 9/11/05 26 http://milk.elehost.com, viewed on 9/11/05 Is it really better ? So if conventional milk isn’t good for us should we go organic? Is it a better option?

Here’s what the Ethical Consumer says about organic alternatives: –

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersGuides/fooddrink/yoghurtdairysoya.aspx)

Soil Association certified products are better for the environment and for the consumer in terms of avoiding much of the antibiotics, hormones and GM feed used in conventional milk production. But do they offer a better deal for the cows?

There are no guidelines for the length of time organic dairy cows may be housed indoors, but completely indoor systems are prohibited. Highly invasive practices such as embryo transfer are forbidden but artificial insemination is allowed. Fertility hormones are prohibited for synchronising calving but not for bringing an infertile cow into heat. Calves must be group housed after seven days old. Castration with a rubber ring is allowed within the first week of life. Disbudding (permanently preventing horn growth by applying a hot iron to the horn-forming tissue) is allowed up to 3 months. Calves can’t be taken to market under one month old, but after this, eight hour journeys are allowed. Organic cows are still impregnated each year to provide a continuous supply of milk and separated from their calves within 24-72 hours of birth. The scheme also allows unwanted calves to be killed soon after birth (1).

References
1 The Dark Side of Dairy, a Viva! Report by Toni Vernelli BSc Animal Biology and Conservation, 2005
2 Wrecking The Planet, Joni Seager, The State of The Environment Atlas, Penguin Books, 1995
3 Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org, viewed on 21/10/05
4 http://www.food.gov.uk, viewed on 4/11/05
5 http://www.viva.org.uk, viewed on 4/11/05
6 http://www.purifymind.com/Hippo, viewed on 4/11/05
7 Corporate Watch newsletter: issue 24, June/July 05
8 Breaking the Rules, International Baby Food Action Network, 2004
9 http://www.itfglobal.org, viewed on 8/11/05 10 Earth Island Journal: Winter 2002/Vol17
11 Responsible Shopper website: Dean Foods viewed on 02/02/05
12 Ethical Consumer: 85 October/November 2003
13 Who Owns Whom: 2003/2004
14 The Ecologist: May 2003
15 The Ecologist: December 2004
16 Companies that test on animals, PETA, July 2004
17Breaking the Rules: 2004
18 Corporate Watch newsletter: issue 22, Feb/March 2005
19 BUAV Factsheet E3 Cosmetics Companies Guide, November 2004
20 Power Hungry – six reasons to regulate global food corporations: ActionAid report 2005
21 Ecolinks Boycott list – http://www.ecolinks.net, viewed on 25/02/03
22 http://www.oilpackers.com, viewed on 8/11/05
23 http://www.scconline.org, viewed on 11/10/05
24 Yeo Valley Group Corporate Communications: �Minimising Our Impact on the Environment’ 2005 < br>25 http://www.notmilk.com, viewed on 9/11/05
26 http://milk.elehost.com, viewed on 9/11/05

Is it really better ?

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