California Government Official Lies About Raw Milk

[Guest guest]

California Government Official Lies About Raw Milkþ

From: info@...

Sent: Fri 1/04/08 12:39 PM

Dear Members, We have just send the following press release out on

the wire services. Please feel free to send this announcement to

local media, post it on internet lists and send it to California

government officials. We will continue to keep you informed as

events in California unfold. Sincerely,Sally Fallon, PresidentThe

Weston A. Price Foundation CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL LIES ABOUT

RAW MILKFor immediate release. January 4, 2008 Raw milk proponents

who have claimed that government officials often deceive the public

about the safety of raw milk found clear evidence of this practice

in a recent statement from the California Office of Constituent

Affairs. A letter signed by Richey, Office of Constituent

Affairs, sent to California consumers of raw milk, states that in

September 2006, " the California Department of Public Health linked

six cases of infection with the deadly E. coli O157:H7 to the

consumption of raw milk. " The letter refers to the September 2006

outbreak of virulent E. coli now definitively tied to spinach grown

in California. Although officials of the California Department of

Food and Agriculture (CDFA) accused Organic Pastures Dairy,

California's main producer of raw milk, of selling tainted milk,

thorough investigation of the milk, the cows and even the manure at

Organic Pastures Dairy failed to find virulent E. coli or any other

pathogen. The state was forced to make a monetary settlement to

compensate Organic Pastures Dairy for loss of business during the

unnecessary two-week recall. " The actions of California officials

typify what we are seeing in many parts of the United States, " says

Sally Fallon, president of The Weston A. Price Foundation, a

nutrition education foundation that promotes the consumption of raw

milk. " Raw milk is often the whipping boy for illness caused by

other foods. Health officials publicize a 'link' between raw milk

and illness on little or no proof and ignore much more likely

vectors of illness, such as salads or deli meats. They can find

a 'link' between raw milk and illness by asking victims about raw

milk consumption and not about other foods they have consumed. "

Fallon notes that In September, 2003, the FDA, USDA and CDC jointly

released a report comparing the risk of listeriosis carried by

various foods. On a per-serving basis, this report estimated that

deli meats are 10.8 times more dangerous than raw milk and that non-

reheated hot dogs are 9.2 times more dangerous than raw milk. Since

deli meats are so commonly consumed, on an absolute basis they carry

515 times as great a risk as raw milk. Furthermore, two people

recently died in Massachusetts from listeria in pasteurized

milk. " Where are the government warnings to avoid deli meats, hot

dogs and pasteurized milk? " asks Fallon. " Only raw milk is singled

out as a menace. " The letter from the Governor's office also states

that " raw milk sold for direct human consumption is illegal in all

or part of 42 states. " " Once again, the state of California is

lying to the public, " say Fallon. " Raw milk may legally be sold in

over 30 states and may be sold in stores in eight states. California

citizens whose health depends on access to raw milk deserve fair and

accurate statements from public servants, not lies and

misinformation. " The new standard passed by the Legislature in AB

1735, without hearings or debate, sets a maximum amount of

beneficial probiotic coliform bacteria at no more than 10 bacteria

per mL in milk sold raw to the consumer. If enforced, AB 1735 could

make raw milk unavailable because coliform bacteria-which are

harmless-multiply rapidly when milk is machine bottled. Just before

AB 1735 took effect, January 1, 2007, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal

Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in San Benito County. Part of that

lawsuit requests an injunction which would legally protect raw milk

producers against enforcement of AB 1735 standards. In addition, a

new law will be introduced in January reversing AB 1735. " AB 1735

unfairly targets raw milk and is not necessary for public safety, "

says Taaron Meikle, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense

Fund. " The two raw milk dairies in California have a superlative

safety record. " The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF)

defends the sale of raw milk and other farm products directly to the

public. In states where raw milk sales are illegal, FTCLDF helps

farmers provide raw milk to consumers through cow-boarding and herd-

sharing contractual agreements.

CONTACTSSally Fallon, President, The Weston A. Price Foundation202-

962-0333, safallon@..., www.westonaprice.org Taaron Meikle,

President, The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund,

TGMeikle@..., www.farmtoconsumer.org Pete Kennedy, Esq., Vice

President, The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund,

glfcstmnrs@...