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The Mystery Continues
Is organic milk really better for you? Or is it just a “feel-good” thing? I guess it depends on what you want to believe.
Organic advocates seized upon a new study published in
the British Journal of Nutrition over the summer that says organic dairy and meat
products in a mother’s diet positively affect the nutritional quality
of her breast milk. Specifically, a diet in which at least 90 percent of
dairy and meat products are organic is shown to produce higher levels of
conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid believed to boost immunity,
fight cancer and have a favorable influence on body fat composition, among
other things.
However, organic may not be the reason. I’m
aware of research suggesting that pastured cows — grass-fed, but not
necessarily organic — produce milk with higher CLA levels. This was
noted at an industry conference I attended this past summer by Dr. Rusty
Bishop of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, who argued there is no
hard evidence that organic milk is better for you than conventional milk.
Building on that, a Swedish study released last month
found that organic milk is not richer in vitamins and nutrients than
conventional milk, contradicting an earlier study.
That brings us to Organic Valley, the wildly
successful organic dairy marketing company that’s the subject of this
month’s cover story. While encouraged by some recent studies, the
folks there acknowledge there’s not enough science on their side to
firmly support their deeply held belief that organic milk is better for
you. And they’re not content to rest on opinion; Organic
Valley’s member farmers help finance ongoing research to garner
support for their cause.
But in the meantime, Organic Valley sees itself
— and its peers in the industry — as offering choices to
consumers in a segment that has long needed a shot in the arm.
And as I’ve said here before, there are a lot of
people who are going to believe what they want to believe, regardless of
science, and processors can’t afford to ignore what’s becoming
a more significant part of their consumer base.
For those of you who may not have noticed, Dairy Field has launched
its new and improved Web site. We’re now bringing you industry news
on a more frequent basis, in a more reader-friendly format. You’ll
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