All milk intended for direct consumption should be pasteurized -- it's a matter of food safety. Pasteurization is a simple, effective method to kill potentially harmful bacteria without affecting the taste or nutritional value of milk. With standard pasteurization, milk is heated to a temperature of at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for not less than 15 seconds, followed by rapid cooling.
No. All milk – both regular and organic – is tested for antibiotics. Any tanker that tests positive is disposed of immediately.
No. Stringent government standards ensure that all milk is safe, pure and nutritious. The most recent government testing found that all of the milk samples tested were found to be completely free from pesticide residue.
Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a hormone that occurs naturally in all cows, and its physiological function is to help direct milk production. Through biotechnology, scientists have created a synthesized copy of bST -- which some dairy farmers choose to use as a milk production management tool on some cows.
To download the Milk and Hormones Fact Sheet PDF click here
No. Hormones are naturally present in many foods of plant and animal origin, including milk. Some farmers choose to supplement some of their cows with additional bST, to increase milk production, but science shows that there is no effect on hormone levels in the milk itself.
To download the Milk and Hormones Fact Sheet PDF click here
Since rbST was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in the early 1990s, its safety has been affirmed and reaffirmed by the scientific community. Scientists tell us that rbST is species-specific, meaning that it is biologically inactive in humans. Also, pasteurization destroys 90 percent of rbST in milk. Numerous scientific studies have shown there is no significant difference between milk from rbST-supplemented and non-rbST-supplemented cows. That's why the FDA has established that dairy products from cows treated with rbST do not need to be labeled.
To download the Milk and Hormones Fact Sheet PDF click here
Organic milk is just one of many options in the dairy case to fit different lifestyles and personal preferences. Organic and regular milk are equally as good for you. Check the nutrition label, and you’ll see that every 8-ounce serving offers the same amount of essential nutrients.
For information on the nutritional value of dairy products, visit the National Dairy Council.
To download the Organic Milk PDF, click here.
Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) support the conclusion that milk from cloned cows is no different than milk from conventionally bred cows. Milk and milk products are among the most tested and regulated foods in this country and all U.S. dairy foods go through extensive and rigorous safety and quality tests before they reach the consumer. Currently, FDA has a voluntary moratorium on food from cloned animals.
To download the Cloning PDF, click here.