Spring 2012

Below is an email we recieved on our Spring 2012 Waikato edition.  While all efforts are made by Nourish for the content within the magazine to be true and correct we accept no responsibility for the opinions expressed by our contributors.  We therefore asked Deborah to respond to this email, which you will see below.
It is clear to us though that the raw milk debate is one with many varied opinions and one we believe people should know more about so they can make an educated decision and therefore we will be looking at doing a story on both sides of the raw milk debate.  We would love to hear your opinions and experience with raw milk so please feel free to email me vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz

We are also interested to hear your thoughts and opinions (or compliments) on Nourish.  Please email these to info@nourishmagazine.co.nz along with your full name.  Each season a winning letter will get the fabulous MaxiAir bin from Friendlypak.

MaxAir Bin is the world’s best kitchen food scrap collection system.  Using compostobale liners it removes the yuck factor in recycling your food scraps.

Dear Vicki,

I have just read the latest edition of Nourish magazine (Issue no. 9, Spring 2012) – and I applaud the goals outlined in your editorial, ‘”of encouraging more people to cook from real ingredients and highlighting amazing local producers’”.

However I have some serious concerns about the content of articles within the ‘Expert Advice’ section of your magazine. In this instance Deborah Murtagh has made some outrageous claims about the benefits of raw milk that must be rebuffed:

Extracts from her article are noted in bold below:

1. “Raw milk contains built-in protective systems or bio-active components that protect us from pathogenic bacteria” 

This is a ridiculous claim. There is no proven scientific evidence that supports this view. In fact the nutritious nature of raw milk makes it one of the most effective vectors of foodborne illness (see below)

2. ”According to the American Journal of Public Health (Aug 1998, vol 88, no. 8), there are only 1.9 cases per 100,000 people who got ill from raw milk between 1973 and 1992. However 4.7 cases per 100,000 were confirmed in people who consumed pasteurised milk between 1993-1997″

I have read the paper mentioned above and the figures Deborah quoted do not appear anywhere in that paper. In fact there is no reference to cases of foodborne illness for those that consumed pasteurised milk. She appears to have fabricated these figures to support her view – an action which is not only very serious, but as an editor you should treat with the utmost concern. In addition let me quote the opening sentence from that very paper:

“The hazards of drinking raw milk are evident from the list of infectious diseases that may be acquired from this product; these include camplyobasteriosis, salmonellosis, yersinosis, listeriosis, tuberculosis, brucellosis, staphylococcal infections, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection.” 

All of these illnesses can lead to death – hardly supportive of her claim in Point 1 above in which she suggests raw milk has some built-in protection mechanism against pathogens. Indeed, her assertion that milk is able to differentiate between different types of bacteria is absurd in the extreme, as is her inference that unpasteurised milk is twice as safe as pasteurised milk!

For your reference the article quoted can be viewed here:  http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.88.8.1219

3. “[Milk] … contains… a number of things which protect the immune system, as well as beneficial bacteria which cannot be underestimated as a critical element of any healthy person” 

This statement suggests that bacteria are normally present in milk – which is far from correct. When milk is expressed from any mammal, it is fundamentally sterile. The mechanism for bacteria to be present in milk is a result of contamination, irrespective of whether those bacteria are so-called ‘beneficial’ bacteria or pathogens. To infer that beneficial bacteria are a normal part of raw milk is simply not correct.

Finally, I would like to re-iterate my key concerns:

• Where an article such as this is published under the heading of ‘Expert Advice’ your readership will assume that the author has a knowledge or expertise in a particular subject area. In this instance your readership is being mislead, the consequences of which may lead to very serious health issues.
• As an editor you have a duty of care to your readership to ensure that articles are factual and  correct, especially (and this cannot be emphasised too strongly), when the subject matter has very real health consequences. I understand that you rely on your authors to know their subject matter – but in this case the information is ill-informed and little more than a skewed opinion for which there is no scientific basis. At the very least you should provide a  disclaimer.
• Regarding the misquote of the American Journal of Public Health, it would be reasonable for your magazine or Deborah to publish a correction or apology.
• Expressing opinions under the guise of fact, and purposely misquoting journal articles  undermines the efforts of generations of health workers to improve our public health status.

I look forward to your reply.

Regards
Neil Fraser

Deborah’s response

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Thank you for rightfully pointing out my incorrect reference to an article published in the Spring 2012 Edition of Nourish Magazine.
My sincere apologies for not crosschecking the reference I quoted.  The article extracted quotes from another article posted on the Weston A Price Foundation’s website, and in an effort to cut the article short we edited it to a minimum text level and in doing so did not explain nor clarify the correct references.

In rebuttal to your obvious concern that both I and Nourish Magazine would suggest raw milk is known to be healthier than pasteurized milk.  I will not speak on behalf of Nourish Magazine but I will speak for myself in saying that I hold the firm belief that raw milk is better both nutritionally, and better for our health when provided from cows that have been grass fed and are in optimal health.

Obviously you have an opposing view and I would ask you to view the Harvard University debate on Raw Milk at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLRdihFi6gw&feature=plcp
As a practitioner of Natural Medicine, Food Coach and Weight loss Coach for 20 years and as a Member of the Ultralite Nutritional Advisory Board, I have actively promoted the use of raw milk for several years.  I am also a Chapter Leader for the Weston A Price Foundation, an organization whom hold a firm policy of promoting safe raw milk for families.   I endorse them wholeheartedly in this mission.  My own three children were raised on raw milk and raw cheeses, due to one of my daughters’ severe reactions to pasteurized but not raw milk.

Given you failed to let us know whom you are, one can only imagine you have some affiliation to the dairy industry.  I am more than willing to contribute to a “Both Sides of the Story” article as Vicki has suggested.

I would ask you to visit  this link found on the Weston A Price Website and then browse the website for more information, to better educate yourself on the safety of raw milk:  http://westonaprice.org/childrens-health/raw-milk-safe-for-babies?qh=YToyMDp7aTowO3M6MjoiaXMiO2k6MTtzOjM6ImlzZSI7aToyO3M6MzoicmF3IjtpOjM7czo3OiJyYXduZXNzIjtpOjQ7czo1OiIncmF3JyI7aTo1O3M6NDoiJ3JhdyI7aTo2O3M6NDoibWlsayI7aTo3O3M6NzoibWlsa2luZyI7aTo4O3M6NToibWlsa3MiO2k6OTtzOjY6Im1pbGtlZCI7aToxMDtzOjg6Im1pbGtpbmdzIjtpOjExO3M6NjoiJ21pbGsnIjtpOjEyO3M6NDoic2FmZSI7aToxMztzOjY6InNhZmVseSI7aToxNDtzOjU6IidzYWZlIjtpOjE1O3M6NjoiaXMgcmF3IjtpOjE2O3M6MTE6ImlzIHJhdyBtaWxrIjtpOjE3O3M6ODoicmF3IG1pbGsiO2k6MTg7czoxMzoicmF3IG1pbGsgc2FmZSI7aToxOTtzOjk6Im1pbGsgc2FmZSI7fQ%3D%3D
And please visit  http://realmilk.com/ to gather more information of the wonderful nutritional power of raw milk.

As a Chapter Leader and Nutrition Coach, it is NOT my job to convince you of anything; it is my job to provide people with alternative information about nutrient dense foods which can optimize their health.  Information that is not driven by profit.  For this reason, I am a promoter of raw milk.

Below is the full article from which the information on the article was extracted.

Yours sincerely

Deborah Murtagh
www.healthykitchen.co.nz

FACTS ABOUT RAW MILK

There are so many misconceptions about raw milk, it is the common belief to think that raw milk is dirty and unsafe and that it is dangerous to consume.  This is far from true, in fact raw milk is safer than pasteurized and homogenized milk.

RAW milk in fact contains built in protective systems or bio-active components that protect us from pathogenic bacteria.

Of All Foods, Milk has the Lowest Incidence of Reported Food-Borne Illnesses (0.2%)

On a case-by-case basis, persons consuming milk from ANY source (raw or pasteurized) are:

30 times more likely to become ill from fruits and vegetables

13 times more likely to become ill from beef

11 times more likely to become ill from chicken

10 times more likely to become ill from potato salad

2.7 times more likely to become ill from non-dairy beverages such as soy milk

MMWR Vol 45, No SS-5

PASTEURIZED MILK MORE HAZARDOUS THAN RAW MILK

 RAW MILK: Incidence of food-borne illness from raw milk – 1.9 cases per 100,000 people, 1973-1992.
(American Journal Public Health Aug 1998, Vol 88., No 8)

PASTEURIZED MILK: Based on CDC website, incidence of food-borne illness from all foods including pasteurized milk – 4.7 cases per 100,000 people, 1993-1997.
(US Census Bureau 1997 population estimate 267,783,607)

OTHER FOODS: Based on CDC website, incidence of reported food-borne illness from other foods – 6.4 cases per 100,000 people, per year from 1993-1997.

THEREFORE, the incidence of food-borne illness from consuming raw milk is 2.5 times lower than the incidence of food-borne illness from consuming pasteurized milk; and 3.5 times lower than the incidence of food-borne illness from consuming other foods.
FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH MILK: A COMPARISON WITH OTHER FOODS – 1997

.

 

Pasteurized milk is safer than other foods and raw milk is safer than pasteurized milk.

Campylobacter:
While raw milk often gets the blame for food-borne illnesses, Campylobacter is best known for contaminating meats.
Meats sampled for Campylobacter from 59 Washington, DC grocery stores during 1999-2000.

Zhao C, et al. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2001:67(12):5431-5436

 

Pathogens Can Multiply in Pasteurized Milk and Other Foods But Not in Raw Milk

Campylobacter in chilled raw milk (4o C) (parts per milliliters)

Day 0 = 13,000,000/ml
Day 9 = less than 10/ml

(Doyle, et al. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1982;44(5):1154-58)

Campylobacter in body temperature raw milk (37o C)

Bovine strains decreased by 100 cells/ml in 48 hrs

Poultry strains decreased by 10,000 cells/ml in 48 hrs
(Diker KS. Mikrobiyol Bul 1987 Jul;21(3):200-5)

Note that the protective components work more quickly to reduce levels of pathogens in body temperature milk than in chilled milk.

 

The Money that Pays for Our Food is a Source of Pathogens

E. Coli has been shown to survive on coins for 7-11 days at room temperature.

Salmonella enteritidis can survive 1-9 days on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.

Salmonella enteritidis can also survive on glass and Teflon for up to 17 days.

Jiang and Doyle. Journal of Food Protection 1999;62(7):805-7

Breast Milk Contains Pathogens

MISCONCEPTION: Until recently, the medical profession claimed that breast milk was sterile.

PATHOGENS: We now know that breast milk contains pathogens.

PASTEURIZE BREAST MILK? Should mothers be required to pasteurized their own milk before giving it to their babies?

DISCRIMINATION: Yet laws prevent mothers from obtaining raw milk to feed their babies should their own supply be inadequate.

PASTEURIZATION REDUCES PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BREAST MIK

1984 Study involving high-risk premature infants

Type   of Milk	Rate   of Infection
Pasteurized   human milk + formula	33.0%
Raw   human milk + formula	16.0%
Pasteurized   human milk	14.3%
Raw   human milk	10.5%

The Lancet, Nov 17, 1984

 

                HEALTH BENEFITS OF RAW MILK

Lactoferrin – Steals iron away from pathogens and carries it through the gut wall into the blood stream; stimulates the immune system.

Polysaccharides – Encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut; protect the gut wall

Medium-Chain Fatty Acids – Disrupt cell walls of bad bacteria; levels so high in goat milk that the test for the presence of antibiotics had to be changed.

Enzymes – Disrupts bacterial cell walls.

Antibodies – Bind to foreign microbes and prevent them from migrating outside the gut; initiate immune response.

(British Journal of Nutrition (2000) 84. Suppl. 1, S3-S10, S11-S17)

White Blood Cells – Produce antibodies against specific bacteria

B-lymphocytes – Kill foreign bacteria; call in other parts of the immune system

Macrophages – Engulf foreign proteins and bacteria

Neutrophils – Kill infected cells; mobilize other parts of the immune system

T-lymphocytes – Multiply if bad bacteria are present; produce immune-strengthening compounds.

Lysosyme – Kills bacteria by digesting their cell walls.

Hormones & Growth Factors – Stimulate maturation of gut cells; prevents “leaky” gut.

Mucins – Adhere to bacteria and viruses, preventing those organisms from attaching to the mucosa and causing disease.

Oligosaccharides – Protect other components from being destroyed by stomach acids and enzymes; bind to bacteria and prevent them from attaching to the gut lining; other functions just being discovered.

B12 Binding Protein – Reduces vitamin B-12 in the colon, which harmful bacteria need for growth

Bifidus Factor – Promotes growth of Lactobacillum bifidis, a helpful bacteria in baby’s gut, which helps crowd out dangerous germs

Fibronectin – Increases antimicrobial activity of macrophages and helps to repair damaged tissues.

Destruction of Built-In Safety Systems by Pasteurization

Component	Breast Milk	Raw Milk	Pasteurized Milk	Infant Formula
B-lymphocytes Macrophages Neutrophils Lymphocytes IgA/IgG Antibodies B12 Binding Protein Bifidus Factor Medium-Chain Fatty Acids Fibronectin Gamma-Interferon Lactoferrin Lyxozyme Mucin A/Oligosaccharides Hormones & Growth   Factors	X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated reduced inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated reduced reduced	inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated reduced inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated inactivated

A DANGER OF PASTURIZED MILK – UNDERSTANDING MILK PROTEINS

MILK PROTEINS: Three dimensional, like tinker toys

CARRIERS: Carry vitamins and minerals through the gut into the blood stream; enhance the immune system; protect against disease

IMMUNE DEFENSE: Pasteurization and ultra-pasteurization flatten the three-dimensional proteins; the body thinks they are foreign proteins and mounts an immune defense.

DISEASES: Immune attacks lead to juvenile diabetes, asthma, allergies and other disorders later in life

ALLERGIES: More and more people unable to tolerate pasteurized milk; one of the top eight allergies; some have violent reactions to it.

For more comprehensive information visit www.westonaprice.org