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| This truck hauls milk from our farm to the processing plant |
On a recent trip to the grocery store in Chardon, Ohio (near Cleveland) this week, I compared prices and labels of three milks in the dairy case. Following are the products I evaluated;
Great Value (store brand) milk = $2.48/gallon
Label: Our farmers have pledged to not treat any of their cows with any artificial growth hormones. According to the FDA, no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST treated and non-rBST treated cows.
Plant where it was produced: Meadow Brook Dairy in Erie, PA ( Plant #4230)
Reiter Dairy (name brand) milk = $3.98/gallon
Label: Our farmers pledge not to use artificial growth hormones
Plant where it was produced: Meadow Brook Dairy in Erie, PA ( Plant #4230)
Horizon Organic milk = $7.00/gallon
Label: Our farms produced this milk without antibiotics, added growth hormone, pesticides or cloning
Plant where it was produced: Dairygold Inc. in Boise, Idaho (Plant #1604)
The Great Value store brand milk and Reiter Dairy milk were produced in the same plant and are the exact same milk. The only difference is the bottle they are packaged in. This milk probably came from dairy farms in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The organic milk was processed in Idaho and likely came from cows in that region of the U.S.
To determine where milk is processed, look for the plant code printed on the package then go to http://whereismymilkfrom.com/ and enter the code to determine its origin.
After looking at the price, I read the labels. All three claim the milk is from cows not supplemented with artificial or added hormones. The organic milk package also claims the milk was produced without antibiotics, pesticides or cloning.
Actually, all milk contains the same tiny amounts of hormones (regardless if the cow producing it was supplemented with rbST). All milk is tested for antibiotic residue and would be dumped if it contained trace amounts. Pesticides are used sparingly in crop production and don’t pose a health concern in any dairy products. Cloning cows isn’t a practice our farm or any dairy farmer I know is engaging in.
As a dairy farmer, I know that all milk is wholesome, safe and nutritious and there is no scientific evidence concluding that organic dairy products are safer or healthier than regular dairy products.
I prefer purchasing a local product with an excellent nutrition package that is a good value, so I purchased the Great Value milk for $2.48/gallon. Which milk would you purchase?
Very well said. I pick the cheap one. :)
ReplyDeleteI buy GV all the time! My kids drink too much milk to waste my $ on the expensive stuff when the cheap stuff is just as nutritious! :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. It always bothers me that the 'free of antibiotics' is on the organic label. It's like false advertising because NO milk has antibiotics in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Amy! I always go for the store brand!
ReplyDeleteNice article Brenda. We usually pasteurize 2 gallons at a time of milk from our dairy...which I have to say, is very fresh & yummy. But when making a store purchase, I buy the best valued brand.
ReplyDeleteYou misunderstand, perhaps intentionally. It wouldn't matter if it were completely identical. There are people who choose organic not only for health reasons but also for ethical reasons. We don't want products of any kind of factory farms or from companies who support Monsanto and others like them. They force their products on the world by not checking cross pollination. They sue people who have been cross pollinated. Have you read about the problems in Africa and India where unsuspecting farmers were given Monsanto's seed? Look it up. All products should be labeled so that we have a free choice in what we buy and who we support. And you can do as you please.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous-
ReplyDeleteMonsanto has been out of the dairy business completely for a couple years now. They no longer produce or sell net or anything dairy related.
Nice post and comments are very interesting also. I just usually grab the local brand...
ReplyDeleteWhat is the actual "cost" of the impact of the farming method used by the producer? What about the buying power of the Great Value milk buyer? How does that affect the price you, the farmer, get for your raw milk? These are points to consider when making a purchase as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is an Excellent topic, one that is often misunderstood by the average consumer! While rBST is a management tool to be used at the discretion of the Manager of a specific dairy operation, it is not a tool used by all dairy producers.
ReplyDeleteMilk produced by cows supplemented with rBST can not be tested and proved any different than milk produced by cows Not supplemented by rBST. Cattle raised on Organic farms are not treated Better or Worse than cattle raised on conventional farms, Organic is simply an additional management tool that is an option for dairy farmers. It provides a product to a specific consumer market, as our nation is full of consumer options.
Milk from conventional (not Organic) farms, Organic farms, farms with cattle supplemented with rBST and farms with cattle Not supplemented with rBST all contains the same nutritional value and is equally healthy for you.
As a California dairy producer on a conventional dairy farm with cattle not supplemented with rBST, I thank you for being milk and milk products consumers and taking an active role in the discussion of your food sources. Got Milk?
Props for whereismymilkfrom.com!
ReplyDeleteI buy Horizon chocolate milk (in southern California, packaged at the same Idaho dairy, 1604) not because it's organic, but because it's the cheapest chocolate milk I can find which doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or other funny ingredients (and yes, I can taste the difference). When I buy plain milk, it's the grocery store brand in a paper carton at less than half the price. If the grocery store brand of chocolate milk was made with cane sugar and the other ingredients seemed ok to me, I'd happily pay a little more and buy it.
ReplyDeleteHW
Why are you purchasing Great Value store bought milk rather than drinking the milk from your own farm?
ReplyDeleteGood question. We prefer drinking pasteurized milk, so we purchase milk at the grocery store.
ReplyDelete