POLITICAL : Will Ron End the Ban on Raw Milk?

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http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/26/Will-Ron--

End-the-Ban-on-Raw-Milk.aspx

Will Ron End the Ban on Raw Milk?

U.S. Congressman Ron has introduced HR 778, a bill " to authorize the

interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged

for direct human consumption. "

Under the bill, the federal government could not " take any action ... that

would prohibit, interfere with, regulate, or otherwise restrict the

interstate traffic of milk, or a milk product, that is unpasteurized and

packaged for direct human consumption solely on the basis that the milk or

milk product is unpasteurized. "

Passage of the bill into law would repeal a current federal regulation

prohibiting raw milk and raw milk products for human consumption in

interstate commerce. The bill would not force a state to legalize the sale

of raw milk from local producers, nor would it force a state to allow the

sale of raw milk from out-of-state producers in its retail stores. The bill

would, however, enable consumers to enter into transactions to obtain raw

milk and raw milk products from other states without the transactions being

in violation of federal law.

The consumption of raw milk is legal in every U.S. state, but its sale is

currently illegal in about half of them.

Sources:

Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund February 1, 2009

111th Congress 1st Session, H.R. 778

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Again, Congressman Ron rises to the challenge and pushes for sanity and

reason, calling the regulatory restrictions on raw milk " unconstitutional. "

The U.S. federal regulation in question (21 CFR 1240.61) states that:

" .no person shall cause to be delivered into interstate commerce or shall

sell, otherwise distribute, or hold for sale or other distribution after

shipment in interstate commerce any milk or milk product in final package

form for direct human consumption unless the product has been pasteurized.. "

If Ron 's bill H.R. 778 passes into law, it will repeal this regulation

and enable you to buy raw milk and raw milk products from other states - if

it's not available in your own -- without the transaction violating federal

law. Because whereas consuming raw milk is legal in all states, only about

half of all U.S. states allow the sale of raw milk products.

And currently, if you were to purchase your milk products from another state

where the sale is legal, you'd be violating the law by bringing it, or

shipping it, across the border.

This bill would do away with that nonsense.

As Congressman stated when he introduced the bill:

" My office has heard from numerous people who would like to obtain

unpasteurized milk. Many of these people have done their own research and

come to the conclusion that unpasteurized milk is healthier than pasteurized

milk.

Americans have the right to consume these products without having the

Federal Government second-guess their judgment about what products best

promote health. If there are legitimate concerns about the safety of

unpasteurized milk, those concerns should be addressed at the state and

local level. "

Bravo!

And he is right -- demand for raw milk is growing all across the U.S. In

Massachusetts, for example, the number of dairies licensed to sell raw milk

has grown from 12 to 23 over the past two years alone. And, according to the

Northeast Organic Farming Association, dairies are selling more raw milk

than they were just five years ago, and consumers call in every week looking

for advice on where to find it.

Current Regulations are Based on Flawed Assumptions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that raw milk can carry

disease-causing bacteria. However, what they fail to realize is that raw

milk contains good bacteria, enzymes and raw fats that help to boost your

immune system and aid digestion, and that raw milk from healthy grass-fed

cows are FAR less likely to harbor disease-causing bacteria to begin with.

The process of pasteurization is used to extend shelf life and to immobilize

certain bacteria. However, it is normal for milk to contain some bacteria,

and human societies have benefited from these bacteria in milk for thousands

of years. In fact, bacteria:

Are earth's oldest life forms

Are everywhere

Are essential for your survival

Comprise more than 90 percent of the cells in your body

Raw milk is an absolutely marvelous whole food, and fermented milks have

superior nutrient value and digestibility. Today these products are marketed

as containing " probiotics, " as if it was something brand new.

Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, is simply not designed for your best

long-term health interests, and will invariably cause you problems if you

drink it long enough.

Government agencies would have you believe that if there are bacteria in

your milk, it will make you sick. But this is the same type of

oversimplified and incorrect logic that allowed pasteurized milk to

proliferate the market in the first place.

In reality, bacteria is in milk for a reason, and as long as it comes from a

healthy cow, the good bacteria will keep the bad bacteria in your gut in

check, and will proceed to do the same inside of your body.

The public obsession with killing bacteria misdirects efforts at improving

public health -- because relatively few bacteria are pathogenic. By

constantly sterilizing, pasteurizing, and disinfecting, the balance is

actually tipped in favor of the pathogens!

Time to Correct the Error

Now is a great time for you, as a concerned consumer (whether you actually

drink raw milk or not), to take notice and join in the efforts to allow

people everywhere to pursue health and not be thwarted by regulations based

on flawed assumptions.

H.R. 778 has been assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and

is currently seeking co-sponsors. You can track the status of the bill by

entering " HR 778 " in the Search field for " Bill Number " on www.thomas.gov.

More Reasons Why Raw Milk Good for You

Pasteurizing milk not only kills potential disease-causing bacteria, it also

wipes out all the beneficial bacteria, and destroys enzymes, diminishes

vitamins, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin

B6, and, yes, promotes pathogens. It can, and frequently does, also cause

allergies and other autoimmune dysfunction.

From a health perspective, there's simply no rational justification to ever

drink pasteurized milk, even organic pasteurized milk.

Raw milk, in contrast has numerous health benefits, as it:

Still contains all of the valuable enzymes that are destroyed during

pasteurization. Without them, milk is very difficult to digest. So if you

have a lactose intolerance, it will simply disappear once you start

consuming raw dairy products.

Is an outstanding source of healthy, " good " bacteria and micronutrients,

including lactobacillus, acidophilus, and vitamins, which are virtually

eliminated by the pasteurization process of commercial milk. It is an

outstanding nutrient to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your

intestine.

Still contains natural butterfat, which is homogenized or removed in

commercial milk. Without butterfat, your body cannot absorb and utilize the

vitamins and minerals in the water fraction of the milk. Butterfat is also

your best source of preformed vitamin A, and contains re-arranged acids with

strong anti-carcinogenic properties.

Does not contain synthetic vitamin D, which is known to be toxic to the

liver, yet is still added to most commercial milk.

Contains healthy unoxidized cholesterol.

And if that's not enough, raw-milk drinkers also rave about these additional

benefits:

You feel the health benefits: Raw milk is not associated with any of the

health problems surrounding pasteurized milk, such as rheumatoid arthritis,

skin rashes, diarrhea, and cramps. Even people who have been allergic to

pasteurized milk for many years can typically tolerate and even thrive on

raw milk.

It tastes better: As with any food, fresher is always better and this

applies to milk as well. Fresh raw milk is creamier and better tasting than

pasteurized milk that has a shelf life of several weeks.

You do have the right - in fact, the obligation - to come to your own

conclusions about what's healthy for you. It's part and parcel of eating for

your nutritional type, which is the best way for you to optimize your health

as what's good for someone else may not be so great for your particular

biochemistry.

Shouldn't we all have the right to choose which kind of milk we want to

drink?

I think so. And thankfully, so does Ron .

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