DonRocks Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I know of a farm that will sell raw milk for pets - it is illegal to sell for human consumption, and must not be viewed as being drinkable by humans. Nevertheless, if you want to treat your kitty or pup to the best there is, write me, and if enough people are interested, I'll see if I can arrange a group order. Interestingly, raw milk lasts as long or longer than pasteurized milk. Again, I repeat, this is PET FOOD only. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhone1998 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 They are not being secretive about it, in fact they've placed an ad in that free food magazine that you can pick up around Union market. Which makes me wonder just how concerned they are about the food police, or the real police, going after them for customers "misusing" their product. I have to say it's a pretty ingenious idea, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I've been consuming raw milk (legally) for more than 5 years, and yes, it does seem to stay fresh longer, as a rule, than pasteurized milk (as long as the farmer chills it quickly and keeps it chilled). Also, when it does sour, it's not nasty like pasteurized milk--it can be used as one might use buttermilk in baking. But I'm sure your pets will appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 I've been consuming raw milk (legally) for more than 5 years, and yes, it does seem to stay fresh longer, as a rule, than pasteurized milk (as long as the farmer chills it quickly and keeps it chilled). Also, when it does sour, it's not nasty like pasteurized milk--it can be used as one might use buttermilk in baking. But I'm sure your pets will appreciate it. I had raw milk just last week. The one outstanding characteristic it has is a sweetness in the finish (think of the term "sweet cream"). With pasteurization and homogenization, it's hard to imagine that, but when you taste raw milk, the finish contains what I'm guessing is lactose (I assume lactose is a sugar which somehow loses its perceived sweetness in one or both of those two processes). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer john Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Selling raw milk as "pet food" is fairly common. The other common way around the food police on this issue is to sell the customer a share of a cow with the idea that the milk they receive is then from their own animal. The laws on retailing dairy products are particularly nonsensical. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 It's a case of "follow the money." Isn't everything? It is not in the best interest of large dairy companies that buy milk wholesale from dairy farmers that they sell directly to consumers (and thus make a living wage). Laws regarding raw dairy products are set by the states and vary from one state to the next. At the federal level, it is illegal (last time I checked) to take raw milk across state lines with the intent to sell. It's treated as if it were an illegal drug! Some states allow raw milk to be sold for pet food, but require that it be denatured by adding a substance, like charcoal, that makes it unappetizing but doesn't make the milk harmful. Some states allow it to be sold as is as pet food. A few allow individuals to own a "share" of a cow and receive milk from "that cow" weekly. Some states allow none of the above. And a very few allow dairy farmers to sell their products directly to consumers without pasteurization and homogenization. Whatever the local laws, it is vital that the consumer know the source of the unpasteurized products, know that the farmer is handling the milk carefully and maintaining hygiene that isn't as necessary when the milk is being pasteurized. Don, I'm not sure exactly why raw milk has a sweeter taste, but I agree that it does. It could be lactose. I know that some folks who have the so-called "lactose intolerance" reaction to pasteurized milk do not have that reaction to raw milk, and my understanding of the reason is that pasteurization kills certain enzymes (it kills all the enzymes) that facilitate digestion of lactose. If I didn't have access to raw milk, I wouldn't drink milk at all. If you have access to raw milk from a reliable source, enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 It's a case of "follow the money." Isn't everything? It is not in the best interest of large dairy companies that buy milk wholesale from dairy farmers that they sell directly to consumers (and thus make a living wage). Laws regarding raw dairy products are set by the states and vary from one state to the next. At the federal level, it is illegal (last time I checked) to take raw milk across state lines with the intent to sell. It's treated as if it were an illegal drug! Some states allow raw milk to be sold for pet food, but require that it be denatured by adding a substance, like charcoal, that makes it unappetizing but doesn't make the milk harmful. Some states allow it to be sold as is as pet food. A few allow individuals to own a "share" of a cow and receive milk from "that cow" weekly. Some states allow none of the above. And a very few allow dairy farmers to sell their products directly to consumers without pasteurization and homogenization. Whatever the local laws, it is vital that the consumer know the source of the unpasteurized products, know that the farmer is handling the milk carefully and maintaining hygiene that isn't as necessary when the milk is being pasteurized. Don, I'm not sure exactly why raw milk has a sweeter taste, but I agree that it does. It could be lactose. I know that some folks who have the so-called "lactose intolerance" reaction to pasteurized milk do not have that reaction to raw milk, and my understanding of the reason is that pasteurization kills certain enzymes (it kills all the enzymes) that facilitate digestion of lactose. If I didn't have access to raw milk, I wouldn't drink milk at all. If you have access to raw milk from a reliable source, enjoy! I was in California last week, and in California, you can purchase raw milk in stores (travelers, take note!) Upscale stores there often have Organic Pastures products that I've raved about in the past. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 It is legal in Pennsylvania, although I'm not sure whether it's just at farm stores or at some grocery stores as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol_ironstomach Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 It's a case of "follow the money." Isn't everything? No, not everything is. One cannot disregard the fact that moneyed interests can and will try to influence policymaking, but the non-moneyed side is also guilty of promoting nonsense as facts. There are legitimate public health concerns on both sides of this issue, and one cannot pretend that rare outbreaks of listeria or brucellosis are confined to industrial operations. On a related note, celebrity cheesemonger Steven Jenkins used to import a raw milk soft cheese as "Fish Bait". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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