The case of pasteurized milk - or "do governments know better?"

[Narz]

As for raw milk, the small number of people who drink it is precisely why it's banned almost everywhere.

That's not a good reason to ban something. Very few people ride unicycles (which are much riskier than milk of any kind) but they certainly shouldn't be illegal.

One of the whole points of democracy is freedom of choice.

 

[choxorn]

No, my point is that when something has been proven to be harmful, the government strategy against it is "Tell people, get them to stop, and ban it as soon as possible"

 

[innonimatu]

Edit : That government link is even more ridiculous considering it includes raw cheese. I eat raw goat's cheese around 2-3 times a week (I'd eat it every day if it wasn't so expensive). Raw cheese is legal all over the country & millions of people eat it. Makes that 800 sickies in 10 years all the more ridiculous. Likely at least 800 people have gotten sick from almost any food you could possibly imagine.

Actually, as the starter of the thread, I must add that I have had some trouble with goat cheese made from raw milk, some 20 years ago. Brucellosis apparently can be a . .. .. .. .. . to get rid of, I got lucky that the cheese caused a local outbreak that was quickly identified and treated.

So personally I have a very good reason to dislike raw milk (never even touched any kind of goat cheese again!). I still think outlawing it is going too far. By now that and many other formerly common diseases have been mostly wiped out.

 

[Narz]

Hadn't heard of brucellosis before. In general though, raw dairy is pretty tightly regulated and banning it is still ridiculous. Nobody even suggested banning beef during the "mad cow" scare (which people have actually died from). But one leaf of spinach gets infected with salmonella and all spinach farms within five states get closed down for a month (and the source turns out to be a cattle factory farm upstream which closes for a day and then reopens). It's mostly about economics, though admittedly fruit, vegetable & small dairy farms likely would choose to temporarily shut down themselves in case of any scare realizing what a scapegoat they'd become if they didn't.

 

[emzie]

I've drank unpasteurized milk before. I tracked down a farmer who'd give me some... and some cow's blood... to make this awesome drink.

Nothing happened to me.

 

[GoodGame]

This is an interesting topic. I'd say it's safe to say that enthuthiasm for progress is the cause. It would be interesting if there were modern medical studies on the subject, and a public outcry might make one. Obviously the government is acting with good of the public at heart in this type of case, rather than some kind of cynical revenue scheme.

But what drew my attention was a single fact: there was a black market for raw milk. Apparently its sale is forbidden in some countries.
This introduces a few much more interesting question: just how much power should legislators have to decide what's best for us (our heath)? Are people deemed too stupid to choose between pasteurized and raw milk, should both be on sale?
And the second question: just how much of those regulations serves the purpose of protecting consumers, and how much was drafted by groups lobbying to create new business opportunities?

Another interesting point was this part of the farmer's story:


Once rules are made, challenging and changing them is not easy...

 

[Dubai Vol]

Obviously the government is acting with good of the public at heart in this type of case, rather than some kind of cynical revenue scheme.

That is not obvious at all in this case. The dairy industry is a powerful lobby; there are massive government subsidies involved. The big players do not want competition from small producers, so they lobby to keep raw milk illegal to stifle that competition.

Again:

RAW MILK FROM A HEALTHY COW IS PERFECTLY SAFE

Go back and read my original post:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=7053644&postcount=23

 

[choxorn]

True, but how do you know if the cow is healthy?

 

[Dubai Vol]

True, but how do you know if the cow is healthy?

If you don't know the cow that the milk came from, then of course stick with pasteurized. For those living on or near farms, let them make the call. The consequences are minor in any case, as the stats presented int his thread show.

What's sad is that every grocery in Dubai has over a hundred different cheeses to choose from,from various places in Europe and locally. That variety just isn't available in the US, and I suspect the ban on raw milk is the cause.

 

[Cutlass]

As i am also in favor of Tobacco being totally illegal and alcohol use becoming more restricted , this is not a question you should be asking me. I just say that one mistake does not justify another one. It only gives advocates of such mistakes grounds used to mislead people.

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[Cheezy the Wiz]

I support the freedom to buy and sell unpasturized milk.