Organic Dairy: Worth The Price?
Take this scenario. It’s 7:15 on a Thursday evening. You’re racing to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner after work. You’re almost over budget for groceries again this month and even though you know organic milk is the best choice, regular skim is half the price. You like to think of yourself as health conscious and you try to make the best food choices for your family. What do you grab?
I’m going to be honest here and say I would grab the regular milk. Like most Americans, I try to make healthy choices but sometimes I have to sacrifice the best choice for the most affordable one.
On my blog I preach constantly about the merits of healthy eating on a budget and, while I do believe that is 100% possible, where do you draw the line? Organic produce and dairy would be optimal, but is it necessary? If I had the choice, I would rather pick local over organic and I’m very lucky to live in a place where eating local is not only affordable, but also the norm.
So then what’s the big deal then about organic dairy? Basically, milk that has been labeled “USDA Organic” must come from cows that have not been treated with bovine growth hormone (BGH). There is a school of belief that these hormones in milk could raise the risk of hormone-related cancers. However, studies have also shown that BGH is destroyed in our digestive tract anyway by bodily enzymes and acid.
Pretty much, if it’s there our bodies will kill it before it kills us. Make sense?
I’m not saying you should or should not buy organic dairy. I am saying though that it’s important to prioritize what we spend our money on in terms of healthy shopping on a budget.
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
[...] In my broken little mug with berries I also wrote a new True/Slant article today and feel free to go at it in the comment section over whether buying organic food is really [...]
I’m with you, though I must relate a story that pretty much sold me on buying either organic or cage-free eggs regardless of cost.
One Passover several years ago I was cracking about a dozen eggs (you go through a lot of egg whites when making these holiday meals), and was horrified that EVERY egg I cracked had a double yolk. One, OK, it happens. Two, weird but still tolerable. But every one in the package? Have to believe it was a result of growth hormones or worse. Creeps me out just thinking about it.
So yes, I’d rather buy organic dairy when it’s available and on sale.
I live in Canada, where the rules about “organic” are very different, and for me organic is 40% theoretical health benefit and 60% actual perceivable taste benefit. When you have that kind of differentiation, it’s easier to parse the economics. If i’m putting it in my coffee, probably full-fat dachshund milk would do. If I’m drinking it straight or making cocoa of it, it needs to be good or I just need to suck it up and deal with second best.
There are many good reasons to choose organic dairy products. When you purchase these products, you’re getting a healthful, premium product that you can feel good about serving to your family. But you’re also supporting a system of agriculture that is environmentally sound, and which assures the health and future productivity of both animals and land.
Organically raised cows are:
*Fed organic feed raised on land certified as meeting national organic growing standards;
* Raised in conditions which limit stress and promote health;
* Cared for as individuals by dairy professionals who value animal health;
* Not given routine treatments of antibiotics or growth hormones.
Plus, when you purchase organic dairy, you’re supporting farmers who work with the health of the earth in mind. Housing, grazing, and even the handling of manure on an organic farm is regulated to ensure that run-off is not polluting aquifers or waterways. Organic standards also cover processing and packaging of the final product.
Organic. It’s worth it.
http://organicitsworthit.org/make/dairy
To me, organic is not just about being better for my health but better for the environment as a whole. I go a step further with my dairy in that where available, I purchase dairy that is from grass fed animals. This is better for the animals, better for the environment and better for me. I plan, plan, plan when it comes to my food budget so I am rarely in the situation that would cause me to have to pick ‘regular’ over grass-fed, organic. When you talk about organic veggies, fruits and other foods, I choose organic again, better for the environment and better for those working in the agriculture industry. I will promote eating organic food until I am blue in the face because I truly believe that it is better for everyone; short-term and long-term.
I don’t know if you’re familiar with Dr. Mercola, an MD who advocates for real health issues. Here’s some information he has compiled about non-organic BGH milk and just might make you change your mind about opting for the non-organic version because of cost
http://www.mercola.com/article/milk/no-milk.htm.
Aside from all this, i’ve also read recently that the big dairy farms cut the cows’ tails (without anesthetic) just so they will fit better in the cow milking machinery!!
Organic milk tastes better. Period. I don’t know why it tastes better, but I’ve tried every brand of regular milk and every brand of regular milk. I consider it a luxury food, like really good chocolate.
Maybe it’s because I grew up on milk delivered in glass bottles from the local dairy. It was rich and yummy and worth every penny. However, I frequently make the choice you describe. I occasionally treat myself and buy a half gallon of organic milk, but otherwise I just get the store brand, which will do for cooking. Sucks, because I alway feel cheated that couldn’t afford one of my favorite foods that week.
This article is only partly true and fails to mention many other aspects of organic dairy products. In order to be certified organic, products must meet many standards. One of the most important standards for organic dairy products is that the cows must be fed feed that is grown on land that is organically certified. In addition, there are many rules around the use of antibiotic use on the cows, care and handling of the cows, etc. Bovine growth hormone is just one aspect of certified organic milk. It is important to mention that the feed is grown organically, as this reduces the use of pesticides and herbicides which better protects our environment, and thus our health in the long run.
Love your blog, Jenna. Thanks for posting on this topic. For me eating/drinking organic dairy is not just about the BGH. It’s also about the anitbiotics they’re pumping into our cows and chickens. If there’s nothing wrong with our livestock, why do we need to treat them with antibiotics? I don’t want to eat or drink from livestock that has had to be treated with hormones or antibiotics because they’re sick or living in bacteria infested conditions. Also, I think all of the hormones and antibiotics are affecting our society because we now have a lot of people that have developed antibiotic resistances and a lot of kids are hitting puberty at ages 8-10. That’s just not normal and didn’t happen 50-100 years ago before the food/farming industry started doing this. I just don’t think it’s safe and I try to budget my money so that I do have money for the organic dairy and meat every month.
With that said, thanks again for what you write everyday. It’s encouraging!
[...] month I wrote a post on the organic dairy debate, posing the question of is it really worth the price to drink the more [...]