photo credit: sbunting108

Hot off the Press! Keep that Milk Chilled!

Consumers’ Guide to Fresh, Whole, Unprocessed Milk: Safe Handling

by Peg Beals, Guest Blogger

Who is responsible for the quality of the milk you drink?  For increasing numbers of people, the answer is, “I am.”  The recently published eight-page booklet Safe Handling gives consumers interested in claiming responsibility for the food they eat and offer their families a set of clear and simple procedures to maintain the freshness and quality of fresh, living milk from farm to glass.  It is written for people who want to understand both the how and the why of these procedures.

Farmers who recognize the importance of educating the consumer will want to make this booklet available to members of cow- and herd-share programs as it clarifies the responsibility and roles of those who care for the dairy cows and those who package, transport, and consume the milk.  In this way, the risks are shared by all concerned.  Additionally, by providing this type of information, the farmer assists the consumer in making informed choices regarding the milk they consume.

“Proper attention to detail can eliminate risk of food-borne illnesses”

Basically, everything that the farmer and the consumer will do with regard to milk has the purpose of maximizing its quality and minimizing the risk of contamination.  This is where it differs from the attitudes of capitalism and the modern, convenience-based lifestyle of this culture and time.  The three principles I proposed in this publication for these purposes are:

• Healthy cows and goats give wholesome milk
• Contamination of milk must be prevented at every step
• Preserve the wholesome characteristics of milk, primarily by keeping it at a proper temperature continually until it is used.

After discussing the reasons some people seek unprocessed milk and legal aspects of what is currently considered by many to be a radical notion, Safe Handling describes every stage milk goes through from the care and feeding of the dairy animals, to the milking and on-site storage of milk, which are in the purview of the farmer; then it continues to describe hygienic measures the consumer will want to follow in the cleaning of milk containers, dispensing and transporting milk, and finally storing milk for consumption at home.

In Safe Handling, the reader is lead through the following sections:

• Introduction of the goals and responsibilities associated with seeking unprocessed milk;
• Basic principles
• Maintaining Milk Quality at the Farm

~        Helping Cows Live Healthy, Productive Lives

~        Tests Used to Safeguard Milk Quality

~        Farm Sanitation Practices and Equipment—Preventing Contamination

• Milk Hygiene in Your Home

~        Equipment You Need for Your Milk

~        Getting Your Containers Ready for Milk

~        Washing Techniques for Milk Bottles

~        Obtaining Your Milk

~        Storing Your Milk at Home

This informative booklet ends with the following statement:  The safe handling of fresh, whole, unprocessed milk is a shared responsibility of the farmer and the consumer.  This is the underlying value of a rapidly growing movement that prefers to make informed decisions about what we eat and is willing to act in accordance with practices that protect their health and the health of our environment and social relationships.

To order copies of “Safe Handling—” contact: Peggy Beals of the Michigan Fresh Milk Council, PO Box 762,  Grass Lake, MI 49240 or email pegbeals at msn.com  Price: $5.00 single copy, Bulk rates are:  for 25 – 49, $3.50 ea for 50 – 99, $3.00 ea, for 100 or more, $2.50 ea.

Peggy Beals, who is married to medical doctor and pathologist, Ted Beals, has written the definitive guide to safe handling of raw milk. A new, improved edition is released this week.

Peggy Beals