12/22/05 When alternative is not healthy, Pt 2

Raw milk, unpasteurized milk is more healthy for you than the pasteurized version found at grocery and convenience stores. That is the argument of those proponents of consuming unpasteurized milk, such as Dee Creek Farm in Woodland Washington. The belief is that more nutrients are preserved in raw milk, thus making it healthier to consume. However, health officials such as Marni Storey of the Clark County Washington Health District say the evidence shows that pasteurized milk is healthier. STOREY: Pasteurization process destroys harmful ingredients that can occur in raw milk like e-coli and other harmful bacteria. It does not destroy nutrients in the healthful components of milk, so from a public health standpoint, the pasteurization doesn't diminish the nutrient value of milk so our recommendation would be to only drink pasteurized milk. However, eighteen people, most pre-teen children, in Southwest Washington and Clatsop County Oregon were infected with e-coli believed to have come from the unpasteurized milk of Dee Creek Farm based on preliminary lab results. Some people following this story may wonder, "Isn't there health safeguards in place for unpasteurized milk?" There is. In Oregon, it is illegal to sell raw milk, period. Storey says in Washington State, the process is slightly relaxed. STOREY: To distribute, whether through a shareholder process or selling, unpasteurized raw milk, there is a process to do that. And it involves becoming licensed, it involves inspections from the Department of Agriculture, and appropriate warning labels on the unpasteurized products that are distributed. Owners of Dee Creek Farm say they did not actually sell raw milk, but provided purchasers of shares of a dairy cow, shares of its product&a.k.a. milk. But Washington State Ag officials say even in operating a cow-share program, operators still have to have a license. Dee Creek Farm did not. That prompted a closure order by W.S.D.A. in August for failure to be licensed. Dee Creek Farm was finally closed as the e-coli incident broke this month. And owners of the operation are cooperating with state Ag and Health officials by providing names of potential consumers and allowing inspection of their facility. But that only came after last week's order by a judge for Dee Creek Farm to cooperate in such fashion, or face misdemeanor criminal charges.