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White Lightning: Inside Alabama's Raw Milk "secret Society"
Just walking into any old grocery store, Alabama citizens are unlikely to find unpasteurized milk on the shelf next to the whole milk and the 2 percent reduced fat. But if they look hard enough, there's plenty of this "raw milk" to be found—for "pet consumption only," of course.
Under Alabama law it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption, but local farms can skirt that restriction by labeling the product as strictly for pets.
And there's a market for it. "Alabama Raw Milk," a private Facebook group started just a year ago by dairy farmer Kelly Porter, has 5.5 thousand members looking to buy or sell raw milk.
While health experts warn that unpasteurized milk opens up consumers to the risk of numerous pathogens, raw milk supporters argue that foregoing the pasteurization process preserves a number of health benefits to milk including improvements for gut health, asthma, allergies and even allowing people who are lactose intolerant to enjoy milk without issue.
Those supporters feel the political winds may be changing in their favor as President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As his preferred leader of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has mentioned that he only drinks raw milk and in a post to X on Oct. 25 said that "The FDA's war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of … raw milk."
So far, 14 states have made retail sales of raw milk legal, mostly western states. Another 19 states, including neighbor states Mississippi and Georgia, have made some form of "on-farm sales" legal.
Alabama health officials told APR that they were not so keen to allow the sale of raw milk for human consumption, citing longstanding health concerns.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading."I know there's some talk about that with RFK and I think Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, being looked at for Secretary of Agriculture," said Rick Pate, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industry. "It's not good science and not good health information. If I found anybody who worked for the department that did not take that seriously, there would be repercussions. We do take it serious."
Pate's department is technically over the sale of raw milk, since it is only allowed to be sold as pet food. Andy Tipton, another official in the Department of Agriculture, said there are a number of requirements for pet food labeling, including that it is not for human consumption.
"But you can't stop people from eating dog food," Tipton said, adding that raw milk sellers likely won't get into trouble "if it's labeled correctly—as long as they're not saying something opposite to the consumer."
Raw milk bootleggers?When it comes to the sale of raw milk, there's a wink-and-a-nod culture that makes it clear many people purchasing raw milk "for their pets" really mean to consume it themselves.
"We now have a few more openings for milk (for pet consumption only) 😉," wrote one seller in the Alabama Raw Milk group.
"OMG I gotta have some!! For my pets of course 😝," commented one person on a seller's public Facebook post. The seller liked the comment.
Meanwhile, some posts point to the members' desire to drink the milk themselves, including information being shared to the group claiming the benefits of drinking raw milk as opposed to pasteurized.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.Ron Dawsey, director of Alabama's Bureau of Environmental Services, said there is good reason raw milk is prohibited from being sold for human consumption in the state.
"Raw milk, that is unpasteurized milk, can contain some disease-causing pathogens," Dawsey said. "This is not in Alabama, but elsewhere there have been some outbreaks of salmonella, e. Coli and others."
Raw milk made headlines this week after the H5N1 bird flu was found in a batch of raw milk in California, prompting a recall. Unlike some of the other pathogens that would primarily affect the direct consumer, bird flu could be spread from person to person after the initial transfer via the milk consumption.
Raw milk supporters say that even if there are risks to drinking unpasteurized milk, the government should not prevent them from buying it; after all, restaurants are allowed to serve raw oysters despite the CDC estimating that 80,000 people contract vibriosis annually with about 100 people dying from the illness.
"For me it should never be about the laws," Porter told APR. "If as an individual, if I want to go and buy raw milk or fresh pork or beef from a farmer and I am good with how they do things, it shouldn't be between anyone else—just them and myself."
Raw milk supporters back alternate researchBeyond that, supporters also generally don't believe raw milk is as dangerous as health officials treat it to be and, in fact, tout all manner of potential benefits.
Supporters point to the Raw Milk Institute as the prime source of research information that supports their belief that unpasteurized milk properly prepared is generally safe for human consumption and has health benefits that can't be found in pasteurized milk.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.The FDA, meanwhile, has its own page dedicated to "raw milk misconceptions and the danger of raw milk consumption." This page flatly denounces many of the claims made by raw milk enthusiasts. The page states that "raw milk does not cure lactose intolerance … does not cure or treat asthma and allergy … is not more effective in preventing osteoporosis than pasteurized milk … [has] no beneficial bacteria for gastrointestinal health … is not an immune system building food and is particularly unsafe for children … is not nutritionally superior…" and so on. Each of these points is fleshed out on the FDA page with reference to studies.
There were numerous members of the Alabama Raw Milk group who would beg to differ, telling APR of their anecdotal experiences with drinking raw milk.
"I can tell you that I had severe stomach issues and was hospitalized twice in the VA hospital," said JD Duke. "I had increased Eosinophils in my blood, stomach, colon and esophagus. I was horribly sick and drinking raw milk eased it and ultimately got rid of it. I have no clue how but when I would have a flare up, drinking the milk eased it and if I had a flare up and didn't drink the milk, it came roaring back."
Duke said "it feels like a drug deal" when he goes to make his weekly raw milk pickup "because of the ridiculous laws regarding raw milk."
"I'm amazed that in a culture that has normalized eating ultra processed food that is horrific for you that raw milk is demonized," Duke said.
Emily Sargent said her family is lactose intolerant, but has found that they can drink raw milk.
"Unfortunately pasteurized milk causes bloating and pain," Sargent said. "We discovered this while traveling in the Midwest when we visited a local farm and have been drinking raw milk since! I'm grateful for that experience and hope upcoming HHS changes will result in raw milk being readily available! I believe most people would agree current laws are an example of government overreach."
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.Comments flooded in on APR's simple question Tuesday: what benefits do you feel you have experienced from drinking raw milk? APR agreed to grant anonymity to commenters unless they opted in to being identified for this article, although consuming raw milk is not illegal.
People reported all kinds of benefits from drinking raw milk: one person said it halted her daughter's cavity problems; people reported that raw milk helped skin clear up; one commenter said it helped cure her grandfather's ulcer. There was also fear about a journalist's presence in the group and whether it might bring increased scrutiny on the community.
Creating a raw milk communityBefore the Covid-19 pandemic, Porter had never even tasted raw milk. The woman who now oversees the sprawling Facebook community bought her first cow as a response to the pandemic.
"People forget this, but they were limiting the amount of milk you could buy as a family," Porter said. "They were only allowing one gallon per family. I said 'My grandbabies have got to have milk' so we got a cow."
Porter now has eight cows and only sells raw milk, only for pet consumption. She does not sell pasteurized milk. She said the important thing is for people to do their "due diligence" if they are going to decide for themselves whether to drink raw milk.
The community that has come together to support drinking raw milk personally feels almost like a "secret society," Porter said.
In the course of growing her business of selling raw milk, Porter has learned a lot about the process. There's a lot that goes into ensuring raw milk is safe since it does not go through the pasteurization process that works as a catch-all for disease.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading."I have all of my cows tested for any bovine disease, and also have them tested to make sure their milk is 'A2/A2' before they come on my farm to make sure I'm drinking the best quality milk I can possibly drink," Porter said. "We milk it, freeze it, pack it on dry ice and have it shipped for testing in a Wisconsin lab. They test it for a wide variety of everything."
"A2/A2" is common terminology among the raw milk community, referring to the casein protein found in milk. There are two proteins present, casein and whey. There are two types of beta-casein: A1 and A2. A2/A2 milk is milk that has only the A2 beta-caseins in it, which raw milk supporters say is more akin to human milk and better for digestion.
In addition to the European studies and other research cited by raw milk supporters, Porter said raw milk can also have religious significance, citing Muslim friends who pointed to scripture in the Quran identifying "pure milk" as having healing properties. Of course, pasteurization came long after the writing of the Quran.
Should Alabama legalize some form of raw milk sales for human consumption?While it would seem obvious that supporters of raw milk would like to be able to openly purchase raw milk without having to pretend it is for their pets, the potential regulations that could come with legalization give producers pause.
"I wish it wasn't so demonized, but I'm not sure we could afford to jump through all the hoops that they would instill upon us," Porter said.
Raw milk is already significantly more expensive than pasteurized milk found on most any store shelf.
The current rate for a Great Value gallon of milk at Walmart on Wednesday was $3.20. Of course, that's on the low end and is benefited by the nature of Walmart's corporate reach, but the national average cost of a gallon of milk is estimated to be about $4.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.The going rate for a gallon of raw pet milk is anywhere between $10 to $24, Porter said, a steep price for pet milk.
"For me, it's a health thing because I know all the benefits it has for my body," Porter said. "I make homemade butter with it that is so sweet and creamy, it's everything."
As for why the milk is so expensive, Porter said that's "just the market."
Is raw milk safe for children?While a major argument of individuals who support raw milk is that the government should not interfere with a citizen's decision over what food product to buy, the matter is complicated when it involves children.
Not only do children not have the same agency to make those health decisions for themselves, health experts warn that children under 5 years old in particular could be at greater risk of the pathogens that raw milk may carry.
"The immune system of children under 5 years old is still developing, which outs them at greater risk," said Troy pediatrician Elizabeth Dawson, who serves as secretary and treasurer of the Alabama chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians.
The AAP warns about the potential health risks to children as well as to pregnant women and their children in utero.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading."Raw milk and milk products from cows, goats, and sheep continue to be a source of bacterial infections attributable to a number of virulent pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella species, Brucella species, and Escherichia coli O157," the AAP states in its official policy statement on raw milk. "These infections can occur in both healthy and immunocompromised individuals, including older adults, infants, young children, and pregnant women and their unborn fetuses, in whom life-threatening infections and fetal miscarriage can occur.
"Efforts to limit the sale of raw milk products have met with opposition from those who are proponents of the purported health benefits of consuming raw milk products, which contain natural or unprocessed factors not inactivated by pasteurization. However, the benefits of these natural factors have not been clearly demonstrated in evidence-based studies and, therefore, do not outweigh the risks of raw milk consumption. Substantial data suggest that pasteurized milk confers equivalent health benefits compared with raw milk, without the additional risk of bacterial infections."
Many supporters of raw milk stand by their studies though and their assertion that parents should be able to do their own research and decide whether raw milk is suitable for themselves as well as their families.
This Mother Turned Her Quest For Pure Milk Into A Dairy Business With Rs 1 Cr Annual Turnover
When Jyoti Padma's infant daughter was diagnosed with lactose intolerance, it set her on an unexpected path that would revolutionise urban access to pure milk through a unique model — 'Cow Currency'.
"I was astonished when my infant daughter was diagnosed with lactose intolerance. None of our family members have it, which piqued my curiosity on how this could have happened," Jyoti tells The Better India.
Determined to provide her daughter with essential nutrients, Jyoti explored various milk brands and locally sourced options. However, her child's body rejected every attempt. A breakthrough came in 2018 when her sister from Lucknow sent milk from her farm. To Jyoti's surprise, her daughter digested it without any issue.
This was a pivotal revelation for Jyoti. She had been searching for the cause of her daughter's struggles, only to realise that the problem had been the milk all along! "Packaged and processed milk is a bad option for her," she says.
However, even local dairy farms fell short due to hygiene issues or subpar feed given to cows. Resolving to find a solution, Jyoti, a textile engineering graduate, embarked on a self-learning journey. "I don't have a farming background. All that I have implemented is through trial-and-error and self-learning," she recalls.
Jyoti set up her first farm in Lucknow with 15 mixed-breed cows, including Jerseys and Sahiwals. However, her limited knowledge of cow nutrition affected the quality of the milk. After relocating to Thane, Jyoti identified a pressing need for pure A2 cow milk in urban areas. "I grew up in Uttar Pradesh, where getting fresh milk was never a worry. When my daughter needed pure milk here, I realised it's a necessity, not a luxury," she explains.
As per a research study published in the National Library of Medicine, A2 milk — milk that only contains a variant of beta-casein called A2 — has on several occasions proved to be a beacon of hope for lactose intolerant people. The difference in protein between the A2 and A1 varieties makes the former a more easily digestible option.
A holistic approach to dairy farmingIn 2019, Jyoti established Sree Balkrishna Dairy Farm (BKD Milk) on two acres of leased land on the outskirts of Maharashtra. With her husband's support, she envisioned a farm where cows would roam freely, nourished by organic feed like 5G Napier grass, wheatgrass, and millets. The focus was clear: to produce A2 milk, free from adulteration and harmful chemicals.
A strong advocate for ethical and humane farming practices, Jyoti insists on hand milking, ensuring that the milk reaches consumers' homes within hours.
"Certain farmers inject an injection worth Rs 20 to the cow, which affects the nervous system, causing the cow to produce milk for 48 hours straight," Jyoti explains. "This, in turn, causes harmful health issues for consumers, probing early changes like puberty way ahead of time. At BKD Milk, we prioritise the well-being of our cows and the purity of our milk."
Today, BKD Milk serves over 200 customers daily, and Jyoti's innovative approach to dairy farming has garnered significant attention. Her dedication to quality, sustainability, and ethical practices is inspiring a new generation of farmers and consumers alike.
"There's no machine intervention in this process," Jyoti proudly shares. Today, the farm serves over 200 customers daily and generates an annual turnover of Rs 1 crore.
Introducing Cow CurrencyBuilding on the success of BKD Milk, Jyoti and Parikshit Sampat Sai, a farming enthusiast who aims to make agriculture an organised sector, launched Cow Currency — an innovative venture designed for urban households longing for pure dairy products. The model allows consumers to own a cow without managing its daily care.
Parikshit has implemented around 29 pilot projects to date, focusing on technological intervention in agriculture, 'Pranam Kisan' being one of his notable works. He had come up with the idea of such a model and had been planning to implement it since 2017.
"Jyoti's husband is my friend and when I got to know she had established a dairy farm, I wanted to make use of the opportunity. When Jyoti was interested as well, I was happy," says Parikshit. After contemplating for a long time, the duo decided to get involved with Cow Currency.
"I personally believe a woman can provide the right guidance for a business venture. Women are Lakshmi for me. And for Cow Currency, it is Jyoti," he says.
For an initial investment of Rs 1,08,000, customers own a cow for three years. The farm takes full responsibility for the cow's maintenance, feeding, and healthcare. In return, customers receive two litres of fresh A2 milk daily and two kilograms of ghee every month, delivered to their homes. "Even if a customer is in a different state, we courier the ghee, and the milk expense is credited to their account," shares Jyoti.
Despite a cow's natural four-month dry period each year, Cow Currency guarantees an uninterrupted milk supply by pooling resources from multiple cows. "This makes the model affordable, with milk costing just Rs 45 per litre," explains Parikshit. After three years, customers also receive Rs 22,000 as an end-of-term payout, encouraging long-term participation.
The customers are provided with a proper breed certificate of the cow and its genetic parents to ensure the purity of the breed. In fact, customers are welcome to meet their pet cow whenever they wish. "I was able to play with Radha on the farm, and the feeling of owning a cow is something unexplainable," shares Simple H Singh, a resident of Pune.
Fulfilling urban needsFor customers like Puspanjali Dutta, the 'Cow Currency' model rekindles childhood memories. "I missed drinking pure cow's milk after moving to the city," she says, adding, "Now, I have the satisfaction of drinking milk from my own cow, which I've named Rivan."
"People in urban cities do not have the time or space to care for the cow. This model fulfils that in the best way possible," Puspanjali shares.
Simple, who has Celiac disease, highlights the product's health benefits. "Packaged milk always causes allergic reactions for me. But for the past six months, I've had no issues with their milk," she says.
Ethical treatment of cows is at the heart of Cow Currency's philosophy. "Cows are often abandoned or sent to slaughterhouses when they stop producing milk. We ensure every cow has a safe and respectful life beyond its milking period," Parikshit, who has over 18 years of farming experience, explains.
In its pilot phase, Cow Currency operates with 25 staff members per farm and already serves over 70 satisfied customers. The duo plans to expand to 75 farms across India, enabling more people to reconnect with ethical, high-quality dairy products.
Jyoti's journey from a concerned mother to a successful entrepreneur is a testament to her unwavering dedication to quality and sustainability. Her ventures not only meet the growing demand for pure dairy products but also champion ethical farming practices. As she proudly states, "We strive to ensure our cows are happy and healthy, and our customers feel connected to the source of their food."
"Real wealth is owning a cow," Parikshit concludes.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All images courtesy Jyoti and Parikshit
Sources: 'Can you drink A2 milk if you're lactose intolerant?': by Jersey Girl Organics, Published on 8 November, 2021 'A1 vs. A2 Milk — Does It Matter?': by Healthline, Published on 17 July, 2023 'Intolerant to Dairy? You Might Tolerate A2 Milk': by GI Society, Published in 2021 'Effects of milk containing only A2 beta casein versus milk containing both A1 and A2 beta casein proteins on gastrointestinal physiology, symptoms of discomfort, and cognitive behavior of people with self-reported intolerance to traditional cows' milk': by Sun Jianqin, Xu Leiming, Xia Lu, Gregory W Yelland, Jiayi Ni, and Andrew J Clarke for National Library of Medicine, Published on 29 April, 2016.9 Evidence-Based Health Benefits Of Kefir
This popular fermented milk product is widely touted for its health benefits. Kefir is nutritious, high in probiotics, and easy to digest. Here's the research to back it up.
Kefir, a staple food in many cultures around the globe, has become incredibly popular in the natural health community.
High in nutrients and probiotics, it is very beneficial for digestion and gut health. In fact, many people consider it to be more nutritious than yogurt.
Here are 9 health benefits of kefir that are supported by research.
Kefir originated from parts of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Its name comes from the Turkish word "keyif," which refers to feeling good after eating.
This is a fermented drink, traditionally made with cow's milk or goat's milk.
It is made by adding kefir grains to the milk. These are not cereal grains, but grain-like colonies of yeast and lactic acid bacteria that resemble a cauliflower in appearance.
Over approximately 24 hours, the microorganisms in the kefir grains multiply and ferment the sugars in the milk, turning it into kefir. Then, the grains are removed from the liquid and can be used again.
In other words, kefir is the drink, but kefir grains are the starter culture that used to produce the beverage.
The grains' lactic acid bacteria turn the milk's lactose into lactic acid. This is what makes kefir taste sour like yogurt — but it has a thinner consistency.
In addition, kefir has about 104 calories, 11.6 grams of carbs, and 2–3 grams of fat, depending on the type of milk used.
Kefir also contains a wide variety of bioactive compounds, including organic acids and peptides that contribute to its health benefits.
Dairy-free versions of kefir can be made with coconut water, coconut milk, or other sweet liquids. These will not have the same nutrient profile as dairy-based kefir.
Some microorganisms can have beneficial effects on health when ingested.
Known as probiotics, these microorganisms may influence health in numerous ways, aiding digestion, weight management, and mental health.
Yogurt is the best-known probiotic food in the Western diet, but kefir is actually a much more potent source.
Kefir grains contain up to 61 strains of bacteria and yeasts, making them a very rich and diverse probiotic source, though this diversity may vary.
Other fermented dairy products are made from far fewer strains and don't contain any yeasts.
Certain probiotics in kefir are believed to protect against infections.
This includes the probiotic Lactobacillus kefiri, which is unique to kefir.
Studies demonstrate that this probiotic can inhibit the growth of various harmful bacteria, including Salmonella, Helicobacter pylori, and E. Coli.
Kefiran, a type of carbohydrate present in kefir, also has antibacterial properties.
Cancer is one of the world's leading causes of death. It occurs when abnormal cells in your body grow uncontrollably, such as in a tumor.
The probiotics in fermented dairy products are believed to reduce tumor growth by stimulating your immune system. So, it is possible that kefir may fight cancer.
One older study found that kefir extract reduced the number of human breast cancer cells by 56%, compared with only 14% for yogurt extract.
Keep in mind that human studies are needed before firm conclusions can be made.
Regular dairy foods contain a natural sugar called lactose.
Many people, especially adults, are unable to break down and digest lactose properly. This condition is called lactose intolerance.
The lactic acid bacteria in fermented dairy foods — like kefir and yogurt — turn the lactose into lactic acid, so these foods are much lower in lactose than milk.
They also contain enzymes that can help break down the lactose even further.
That's why kefir is generally well tolerated by people with lactose intolerance, at least compared with regular milk.
Keep in mind that it is possible to make kefir that is 100% lactose-free by using coconut water, fruit juice, or another nondairy beverage.
If you are unsure about the quality of store-bought kefir, you can easily make it at home.
Combined with fresh fruit, kefir makes for a healthy and scrumptious dessert.
Kefir grains are available in some health food stores and supermarkets, as well as online. Keep in mind that kefir grains for dairy versus nondairy beverages are different.
You can also find many blog posts and videos that teach kefir production, but the process is very simple:
Once it starts to look clumpy, it's ready. After you gently strain out the liquid, the original kefir grains are left behind. You can now put the grains in a new jar with some milk, and the process starts all over again.
It's delicious, nutritious and highly sustainable.
Kefir is a healthy fermented food with a consistency comparable to drinkable yogurt.
This product is traditionally made from dairy milk, but plenty of nondairy options are available.
Studies suggest that it supports your immune system, aids in digestive problems, improves bone health, and may even combat cancer.
Get started with kefir today to make the most of this tasty, sour drink.
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