By Julie Knapp •
September 15, 2009
Organic milk may cost more, but it may also pay off in the end. A recent Dutch study suggests that children are one third less likely to suffer from allergies before age two if they’re raised on organic dairy products.
In the study, children and breastfeeding moms ate organic milk, cheese and yogurt. The study author said the connection between choosing organic dairy and less incidence of
eczema was clear. The risk for other allergies and asthma also decreased.
So why is organic better? It’s hard to say for sure at this point, but researchers believe it may, in part, be due to the higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acids that are found in organic milk. Studies have shown that organic milk has 71 percent more omega-3 fatty acids, too, another important nutrient for growth and development.
By Derek Markham •
October 29, 2008
What’s the integrity of your organic milk?
The Cornucopia Institute’s Organic Dairy Products Scorecard pulls no punches in its ratings of organic milk producers.
Which brands are at the bottom?
The factory farms of Horizon, Aurora, Woodstock, Natural Prairie, and Shamrock.
The recently updated Organic Dairy Scorecard rates 107 organic dairy producers based on their answers to an in-depth survey asking about:
- the milk supply source (farmstead or open market)
- the amount of pasture time for the herd
- the use of hormones and antibiotics
- the health and longevity of the cows (cull rate)
- the source of replacement animals (organic or conventional farms)
- their organic farm certifier
“Consumers who pay premium prices for organic products do so believing that they are produced with a different kind of environmental ethic, a different kind of animal husbandry ethic, and social justice for family farmers. But not all organic dairy products are alike.” - Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst, Cornucopia Institute
In an exposé of factory farm dairy producers and the brands that threaten to take over the organic dairy industry, Cornucopia’s scorecard helps consumers all over the country to select foods best representing their values.
