Sustain Ontario raw milk debate online

Click image below to go to a page where you can listen to the debate:

Click image above to go to page to hear debate

Margo McIntosh on today’s “Sustain Ontario” debate about raw milk

Today Sustain Ontario hosted a debate, which was more like a conversation about raw milk, and the political climate surrounding in it.  The debate over raw milk has been going on for over 20 years in Canada.  We tend to hear more about the USA on our news casts and have all been following the debates and raids in the USA with great interest.  It is time that Canadians get involved in our own food rights actions and educate ourselves.  This webinar was a great way to learn about the issues surrounding raw milk from both sides of the belief system.  All the participants were knowledgeable, courteous and articulate.  It was a very good discussion of all the aspects surrounding the debate about raw milk.  The webinar will be archived on the Sustain Ontario site shortly for those of you who were not able to see it.

There have been comments that this was not purely a Canadian debate because Sally Fallon and Dr. Ted Beals are both Americans.  If we had two such strong personalities who would speak on behalf of raw milk in Canada we would have asked them.  There simply isn’t anyone else as knowledgeable about the benefits of raw milk as Sally Fallon and Dr. Beals has spent years studying and researching this food.  We were very fortunate to have these two professionals agree to speak to us here in Canada.

Are debates about the merits of raw milk overrated? — Michael Schmidt

From Ontario raw milk farmer and advocate Michael Schmidt:

Michael Schmidt (right) at a recent raw milk rally in Minnesota.

As Sustain Ontario is organizing a much anticipated debate about the benefits and risks of raw milk, I begin to wonder why not a debate about how to provide quality raw milk in the current regulatory climate in Ontario or in Canada.

As I said before, we cannot and should not try to explore such a political issue in a debate where there is absolutely no interest to resolve the basic rights issue.

June 4th webinar debate on raw milk

From SustainOntario.com, a promising debate about raw milk from a panel featuring raw milk advocates AND public health experts:

“Join us on-line for a free webinar.  Register online before June 4th at 11am.

June 4th, 12-2pm

As the debate around the safety hazards and potential health benefits of unpasteurized milk grows, so too does the need to understand the reasons for and against pasteurization.   Sustain Ontario has brought together a panel of experts to clarify some of the myths and facts about unpasteurized milk and begin an open dialogue between advocates on both sides.  We hope to cover the history and reasons for pasteurization in Ontario, the public health risks of unpasteurized milk, the health claims of unpasteurized milk and the impacts on dairy producers.   There will be a half hour for questions and answers.

Harvard raw milk debate Feb 16th

David E. Gumpert on The Complete Patient blog:

“It’s a tad awkward writing an assessment of a debate in which I was a participant…so here are a few random reactions to the raw milk debate at Harvard Law School Thursday evening. (If you missed it, you can view the recording on YouTube; it should be up shortly.)

* The two opponents–Heidi Kassenborg of the Minnnesota Department of Agriculture’s dairy division, and Fred Pritzker, a personal injury lawyer–handled well the audience’s clear pro-raw-milk leaning. Kasselbon said upfront, “I am probably not going to be able to persuade you.” Pritzker asked for a show of hands of those who favored raw milk, and was good humored when most everyone raised their hands.

Raw milk debate at Harvard Feb 16th

From Natural News.com:

“(NaturalNews) Demand for raw milk in the U.S. is soaring, and federal and state regulators are having an increasingly difficult time trying to fend off scrutiny of their outmoded, disproven propaganda about the so-called benefits of pasteurization. So in order to facilitate a dialogue about this popular and important issue, which is now at the forefront of food politics, Harvard Law School will be holding a raw milk debate on February 16, 2012 from 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm.

If you live anywhere near Harvard, you will not want to miss this riveting debate in person, which will feature Sally Fallon Morrell, author of the popular cookbook Nourishing Traditions and President of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and David Gumpert, author of the bookThe Raw Milk Revolution. These two advocates of food freedom for all will expose the flawed arguments of the anti-raw milk crowd, and draw attention to the incredible health benefits that can be gained from drinking clean, grass-fed raw milk.

Joseph Heckman, Rutgers University prof, raises raw milk issue on campus

From Andrea Alexander on Rutgers.edu:

“Professor Joseph Heckman’s advocacy to legalize the sale of raw milk in New Jersey has made him the target of some harsh criticism. One Rutgers food scientist recently accused Heckman of championing a product that is potentially deadly.

But Heckman, a professor of soil science, is not backing down. He passionately believes in the benefits of raw – or unpasteurized- milk and said he has the scientific literature to back it up.  He cites studies that have shown drinking raw milk helps to alleviate allergies and asthma.

“Currently, there is no such thing as ‘food rights’.” — Richard Lerner

From Richard Lerner on the Metro West Daily News:

Seemingly reckless consumption of milk -- not sure if it is raw or not. Photo via Rebel Rebel Tumblr

“…Yes, the rhetoric around raw milk is heated. The reason that those involved in public health get so bent out of shape about raw milk is twofold: 1) It turns the clock back on science, on proven methods for reducing foodborne illness, and 2) due to the vociferous, combative nature of its proponents, we are required to spend time on a food item that is (fortunately) consumed by a minuscule portion of the population.

And yes, I have heard (ad nauseam) all of the arguments for raw milk, I am not going to respond to each one here. You can find them on the unedited comments section, and form your own responses. Some of them are so flimsy as to be embarrassing to their writers, and it is not my purpose to embarrass the ignorant. What I would like to do, instead, is respond to valid concerns about what public policy should be concerning food safety: