Recently I learned Whole Foods Market in Florida plans to stop selling Raw Cow Milk on Sept. 30th. For at least the past 5 years and possibly longer, Whole Foods was able to sell Raw Cow Milk under the moniker that it was being sold for pets only. On the cartons it states in big bold letters "Not for Human Consumption." Well, at nearly $5 for 2 liters, either people really love their cats, or this is clearly a well-exploited loop hole for people to get their hands on raw milk.

I remember the first time I was able to get raw cow milk. I was at Whole Foods and I asked a store clerk if they carried it, he told me they did but it wasn't displayed. He then disappeared and to my complete surprise quickly returned with two liters of the good stuff. I was so excited! I had only read about raw cow milk and the pain-staking ways most people have to get it. Now Whole Foods in Florida will display their raw cow milk, along with raw goat milk right with their other milk products.

In a lot of states it is out-right illegal to buy/sell raw cow milk. Some states will allow it under certain circumstances. Texas for instance requires you to be part owner of a farm! So you have these "dairy clubs" that spring up where you pay dues to be a "part owner" and then you take turns monthly to drive out to the farm and deliver milk to yourself and the other members. Its a HUGE hassle. Which is why I was so thrilled that Florida would allow Whole Foods to utilize the pet-consumption loop hole.

Why is Raw Cow Milk so important? Raw Cow Milk contains intact proteins and fats that have not been damaged or denatured by the pasteurization or homogenization processes that all store-bought milk is treated with. Taken from the Orlando Weekly's excellent "White Lighting,"

Pasteurization: Pasteurization is the controlled heating of milk to a very high temperature for a specific amount of time. There are many different methods, but the most common is the High Temperature Short Time (HTST) method, which heats the milk to 165 degrees for 15 seconds, then rapidly cools it. The problem is that protein is denatured by the process, and all the enzymes are destroyed, including the ones that actually help digest milk.

Homogenization: Homogenization was invented to emulsify margarine. It was transferred to the dairy industry for one reason — less hassle on the part of dairy distributors. Milk naturally separates into two layers, with a rich layer of cream on top. Once pasteurization made it possible to transport milk for long distances, homogenization was a simple solution for ensuring a unified product. Even the whole milk we purchase today has been completely separated in the factory into cream and skim milk, then recombined. The product we buy as whole milk is a standardized 3.5 percent butterfat, which is completely homogenized into the product. (The rest of the cream is used for ice cream, whipping cream, etc.) Milk is a fat-in-water emulsion, and homogenization basically forces the fat molecules through hair-like pins, crushing them. What milk activists oppose about homogenization is the fact that it changes the structure of the fat molecule’s cell membrane. Studies are not yet available that reveal how the body reacts to this man-made molecule.

Grass-fed versus grain-fed: Cows are ruminants, which means they have four chambers that supersede their stomachs. These chambers are designed to be holding tanks where their food is predigested with the help of beneficial bacteria. The rumen is a delicate part of the cow’s inner ecology, and what the cow eats provides the pH for proper digestion and nutrient utilization. Grass and forage are their natural diets, which provides them with optimum nutrition. The management of most cows includes some grain, usually in the winter months when grass is not readily available. However, too much grain can totally destroy a healthy rumen (unless drugs are given). For factory-farmed cows, low-quality grains often make up the bulk of the diet. Some of the foods found in the diet of confinement-farm cows are soy hulls, No. 2 corn feed and even chicken manure — all industrial waste products.

The process of Pasteurization denatures proteins to a level that is very difficult for humans and other animals to use properly. This was demonstrated in the famous Pottenger Cats study. In 1946 Francis M. Pottenger published "The Effect of Heat-Processed and Metabolized Vitamin D Milk on the Dentofacial Structures of Experimental Animals" in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Oral Surgery. In this famous, landmark, award-winning study Dr. Pottenger showed that cats fed raw milk, raw meat, and cod liver oil, were healthier and reproduced better than cats fed pasteurized milk, cooked meat, and cod liver oil over a ten year period.

I could go on. The point of this is to 1. make you aware of the inverse relationship between heat and nutrients in food, 2. if you are a milk drinker, to encourage you to drink raw milk, and 3. If you shop at Whole Foods Market in Florida, please make a phone call, or email, or stop by the customer service desk and tell him "Hey, don't stop selling Raw Cow Milk!" Please, do this, even if it's just for me. Thanks!

-Darren, DC

You can contact the Whole Foods Florida regional office at this number,
954-489-2100