Natural Communities Magazine A magazine devoted to the local natural wellness culture.

There is no shortage of real health myths that can, and do, have a massive impact on tens of thousands if not millions of people. Here is my list of the top 12 health myths:

1: Cardio is One of the Best Types of Exercise

In recent years, researchers have begun to realize that conventional cardio, such as jogging, is not all it’s been cracked up to be, and that you can actually improve your health and increase fat burning by making slight modifications to your cardio routine.

The problem is that traditional cardio only works on the slow twitch muscle fibers in your red muscle, completely ignoring your white muscle super-fast twitch fibers.

“Peak 8” refers to peak exercises done once or twice a week, in which you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period.

To perform these properly you will want to get very close to, if not exceed, your maximum heart rate by the last interval. Your maximum heart rate is calculated as 220 minus your age. You will need a heart rate monitor to measure this as it is nearly impossible to accurately measure your heart rate manually when it is above 150.

Researchers have found that interval cardio produces a unique metabolic response that is in large part responsible for its superior benefits. Intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under your skin and within your muscles. The resulting increase in fat oxidation is thought to drive the increased weight loss.

It is also the only type of exercise that will increase growth hormone levels. This becomes especially important after the age of 30, when growth hormones steadily decline. It is much safer and far less expensive to have your body make growth hormone naturally though Peak 8 type exercises than inject it like many athletes do to the tune of $1500 per month.

2: Vaccines are Safe and Effective and Prevent Disease

I completely understand that for many this issue is not debatable as they believe that vaccines are one of the greatest gifts to public health in the history of civilization.

If you believe that, then let me encourage you to open your mind and explore other views held by many well respected physicians, scientists, clinicians and pro-vaccine safety educators.

You might want to review the article Read This Before Vaccinating for Anything, to help you start your exploration process.

When it comes to vaccines, there are three primary questions that need to be considered.

1. First, is the vaccine in question safe?
2. Secondly, does it effectively prevent disease?
3. And third, which vaccines can safely and effectively be given together or in close succession?

Unfortunately, these issues have not been sufficiently studied for most vaccines, and those vaccines that have been studied frequently show that they are either unsafe or ineffective, or both!

Pro-vaccine-safety educators have long been saying that vaccines can over-stimulate your child’s immune system, sometimes causing the very disease it’s designed to protect against, or worse. And, when several vaccines are administered together, or in close succession, their interaction may completely overwhelm your child’s developing immune system.

This is one of the primary problems with vaccines in general – their detrimental impact on your body’s primary, natural defense against ALL disease.

Now consider that if your child is vaccinated according to the CDC’s recommended schedule, by the time your child starts kindergarten he or she will have received 48 doses of 14 vaccines. Of these, 36 doses will be given during the first 18 months of life – a time when your child’s body and brain is undergoing massive development!

Public health officials have NEVER proven that it is indeed safe to inject this volume of vaccines into infants. What’s more, they cannot explain why, concurrent with an increasing number of vaccinations, there has been an explosion of neurological and immune system disorders in American children.

This issue covers so much ground, it’s impossible to even try to summarize the many hazards and the lack of efficiency data for all the vaccines currently being given, in this article.

For more information please visit our vaccine section at http://vaccines.mercola.com/

3: Fluoride in Your Water Lowers Your Risk of Cavities

The theory behind the introduction of fluoride in your water supply initially seems beneficial – to reduce the incidence of dental caries in children. However, the health dangers of fluoride are so numerous; they far outweigh any benefit to your teeth, and that’s IF water fluoridation actually did what its claimed to do.

Today, even promoters of fluoridation concede that the major benefits are only from topical applications; fluoride works from the outside of the tooth, not from inside of your body, so why swallow it?

Statistics tell us that water fluoridation is ineffective for preventing caries. There is practically no difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non-fluoridated countries, and no difference between states that have a high- or low percentage of their water fluoridated.

Meanwhile, fluoride can cause significant harm, from dental fluorosis to thyroid damage to reduced IQ… and much more.

I’ve joined forces with the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) to help end water fluoridation poisoning in Canada and the United States.

For more about the dangers of fluoride, and information about how to get involved in this campaign, please see this recent article, which also includes an excellent interview with Dr. Paul Connett, who created FAN and is one of the foremost experts on this topic.

4: GMOs Crops are Safe, Well Tested and Economically Beneficial

GMOs may be the greatest health disaster in the American diet. Within 9 years of their introduction in 1996, multiple chronic illnesses jumped from 7 percent to 13 percent of the population, food allergies doubled in less time, and many other ailments have exponentially increased with the introduction of GM foods.

Millions may already be suffering health problems caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their diet. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has already urged doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients, citing studies that show how GMOs cause disorders such as vital organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system problems, accelerated aging, infertility, and dysfunctional regulation of insulin and cholesterol.

But not only are GM foods a health disaster, they also pose a significant environmental threat, and industry promises of financial benefits have turned out to be false as well.

For a quick introduction, I recommend reading the article 10 Reasons to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods, which delves into everything from the health problems associated with eating GM foods to the evidence against GM crops as a sustainable, economically and environmentally viable alternative to traditional farming.

5: Sun Causes Skin Cancer

There are many misconceptions about melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer that accounts for more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. But despite all the bad press linking sun exposure to skin cancer, there’s almost no evidence at all to support that stance. There is, however, plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Over the years, several studies have already confirmed that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by sunscreens.

In my interview with vitamin D expert Dr. Robert Heaney, he explains how the conventional recommendations are in fact causing the very health problem they claim to prevent.

How does sunlight prevent, rather than cause, skin cancer?

In short, it’s the vitamin D formed in your skin from exposure to sunlight that provides this built in cancer protection.

The vitamin D goes directly to genes in your skin that help prevent the types of abnormalities that ultraviolet light causes. Unfortunately, if you follow the conventional recommendation to avoid sun exposure or always use sunscreen, your skin will not make any vitamin D, leaving you without this built-in cancer protection.

Statistics confirm the truth of these findings, as melanoma rates have increased right along with sun avoidance and increased use of sunscreens. If avoiding the sun actually was the answer, then melanoma rates should have decreased exponentially over the past couple of decades…

Instead, sun avoidance and the excessive use of sun screen are actually the two primary reasons for the rise in melanoma.

6: Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease

As recently as 2002, the “expert” Food & Nutrition Board issued the following misguided statement, which epitomizes this myth:

“Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol have no known beneficial role in preventing chronic disease and are not required at any level in the diet.”

This dangerous recommendation, which arose from an unproven hypothesis from the mid-1950s, has been harming your health and that of your loved ones for about 40 years now.

The truth is, saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances, without which your body cannot function optimally.

They also act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.

In fact, saturated is the preferred fuel for your heart!

For more information about saturated fats and the essential role they play in maintaining your health, please read my previous article The Truth About Saturated Fat.

7: Artificial Sweeteners are Safe, Well Tested and Help Promote Weight Loss

Most people use artificial sweeteners to lose weight. The amazing irony is that nearly all the studies that have carefully analyzed their effectiveness show that those who use artificial sweeteners actually gain more weight than those who consume caloric sweeteners.

In 2005, data gathered from the 25-year long San Antonio Heart Study showed that drinking diet soft drinks increased the likelihood of serious weight gain – far more so than regular soda. On average, each diet soft drink the participants consumed per day increased their risk of becoming overweight by 65 percent within the next seven to eight years, and made them 41 percent more likely to become obese.

The reasons for this ironic reality are still being investigated, but there are several potential causes, including:

• Sweet taste alone appears to increase hunger, regardless of caloric content.
• Artificial sweeteners appear to simply perpetuate a craving for sweets, and overall sugar consumption is therefore not reduced—leading to further problems controlling your weight.
• Artificial sweeteners may disrupt your body’s natural ability to “count calories,” as evidenced in studies such as this 2004 study at Purdue University, which found that rats fed artificially sweetened liquids ate more high-calorie food than rats fed high-caloric sweetened liquids.

In the end, the research tells us that artificial sweeteners are NOT a dieter’s best friend, because contrary to what the marketing campaigns claim, low- or no-calorie artificial sweeteners are more likely to help you pack on the pounds than shed them.

There are also a large number of health dangers associated with artificial sweeteners and aspartame in particular. I’ve started compiling a growing list of studies pertaining to health problems associated with aspartame, which you can find here. If you’re still on the fence, I highly recommend reviewing these studies for yourself so that you can make an educated decision.

For more information on aspartame, the worst artificial sweetener, please see my aspartame video.

8: Soy is a Health Food

The meteoric rise of soy as a “health food” is a perfect example of how a brilliant marketing strategy can fool millions. But make no mistake about it, unfermented soy products are NOT healthful additions to your diet.

If you find this recommendation startling then I would encourage you to review my Why Soy Can Damage Your Health, which contains links to dozens of articles on the topic, and a video I recently did.

On the contrary, thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.

Not only that, but more than 90 percent of American soy crops are genetically modified, which carries its own set of health risks.

Here is a sampling of the detrimental health effects that have been linked to soy consumption:

• Breast cancer
• Brain damage
• Infant abnormalities
• Thyroid disorders
• Kidney stones
• Immune system impairment
• Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
• Impaired fertility
• Danger during pregnancy and nursing

I am not opposed to all soy, however. Organic and, most importantly, properly fermented soy does have great health benefits. Examples of such healthful fermented soy products include tempeh, miso and natto.

9: Whole Grains are Good for Everyone

The use of whole-grains is an easy subject to get confused on especially for those who have a passion for nutrition, as for the longest time we were told the fiber in whole grains is highly beneficial.

Unfortunately ALL grains, including whole-grain and organic varieties, can elevate your insulin levels, which can increase your risk of disease.

It has been my experience that more than 85 percent of Americans have trouble controlling their insulin levels — especially those who have the following conditions:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Protein metabolic types
• Overweight

In addition, sub-clinical gluten intolerance is far more common than you might think, which can also wreak havoc with your health.

As a general rule, I strongly recommend eliminating grains as well as sugars from your diet, especially if you have any of the above conditions that are related to insulin resistance. The higher your insulin levels and the more prominent your signs of insulin overload are, the more ambitious your grain elimination needs to be.

If you are one of the fortunate ones without insulin resistance and of normal body weight, then grains are fine, especially whole grains. It is wise to continue to monitor your grain consumption and your health as life is dynamic and constantly changing. What might be fine when you are 25 or 30 could become a major problem at 40 when your growth hormone and level of exercise is different.

10: All Plant Based Supplements are as Good as Animal Supplements

The primary example here is that of omega-3’s. It’s very important to realize that not all omega-3 fats are the same, and that the type and source of your omega-3 will make a big difference in the health benefits it provides.

There are three types of omega-3 fats:

1. DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
2. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)
3. ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid)

Many people do not realize that most of the well-known health benefits associated with omega-3 fats – such as mental health, stronger bones and heart health — are linked to the animal-based omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA), not the plant-based omega-3 fat (ALA).

ALA, which is the type of omega-3 found in flaxseed and nuts, is converted into EPA and DHA in your body, but only at a very low ratio.

So even if you eat large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert a relatively small amount into EPA and DHA, and only when sufficient enzymes are present.

This does not mean plant-based omega-3 fats are intrinsically harmful or that they should be avoided, only that you ideally want to include an animal-based form as well. Personally, I regularly include omega-3 (ALA) plant-based foods, like flax and hemp, in my diet, but these are always combined with animal-based omega-3 fats.

But in order to reap its most important health benefits, your omega-3 needs to be from an animal source. For more information on this topic, please read through my previous article, Are You Getting the Right Type of Omega-3 Fats?

11: Milk Does Your Body Good

Can milk do your body good?

Yes, if it’s RAW.

Unfortunately, this myth insists that conventional pasteurized milk has health benefits, which is far from true. Conventional health agencies also refuse to address the real dangers of the growth hormones and antibiotics found in conventional milk.

Please understand that I do not recommend drinking pasteurized milk of any kind, including organic, because once milk has been pasteurized its physical structure is changed in a way that can actually cause allergies and immune problems.

Important enzymes like lactase are destroyed, which causes many people to not be able to digest milk. Additionally, vitamins (such as A, C, B6 and B12) are diminished and fragile milk proteins are radically transformed from health nurturing to unnatural amino acid configurations that can actually worsen your health.

The eradication of beneficial bacteria through the pasteurization process also ends up promoting pathogens rather than protecting you from them.

The healthy alternative to pasteurized milk is raw milk, which is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, one of the finest sources of calcium available.

For more details please watch the interview I did with Mark McAfee, who is the owner of Organic Pastures, the largest organic dairy in the US.

12: Low-Fat Diets are Healthy

The low-fat myth may have done more harm to the health of millions than any other dietary recommendation. Again, just as the recommendations to avoid sunshine has increased melanoma rates, the low-fat craze led to increased consumption of trans-fats, which we now know increases your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

To end the confusion, it’s very important to realize that eating fat will not make you fat!

The primary cause of excess weight and all the chronic diseases associated with it, is actually the consumption of too much sugar — especially fructose, but also all sorts of grains, which rapidly convert to sugar in your body.

If only the low-fat craze had been a low-sugar craze… then we wouldn’t have nearly as much chronic disease as we have today.

For an explanation of why and how a low-fat diet can create the very health problems it’s claimed to prevent, please see this previous article.

By Dr. Mercola
Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar……

Raw milk is gaining in popularity among people who are looking to eat a more natural and less processed diet. Although there is a large amount of variation in raw milk, true raw milk is milk from organic grass-fed cows that is cooled to 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit and then bottled for consumption. No homogenization, pasteurization, or filtering is part of the process. Raw milk that adheres to this definition is a complete and balanced food with healing properties and many health benefits.

Pasteurization has been used since the 1890`s to kill bacteria in milk including salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, e.coli, and brucella. However, in addition to the killing of the “bad” bacteria such as these, pasteurization also kills “good” bacteria such as lactobacillus. These good bacteria actually kill the bad bacteria that can contaminate milk and make people sick. Cows that are fed fresh grass are consuming the nutrients necessary to produce milk with a healthy amount of good bacteria thereby producing milk that is safe without pasteurization and full of health benefits.

Besides reducing the risk of food-borne illness, the good bacteria found in raw milk is beneficial (especially after the fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt or kefir) for the digestive tract because they produce enzymes which help break down protein. This can be especially beneficial for people with digestive issues that are related to medication, illness, or age. Other types of good bacteria found in raw milk work to change lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. Lactic acid increases absorption of iron, phosphorus, and calcium.

Another benefit of raw milk is the high amount of conjugated linoleum acid (CLA). CLA is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid found in milk from grass-fed cows and is known to boost metabolism, reduce insulin resistance, strengthen the immune system, reduce allergic reactions to food, build muscle, and reduce abdominal fat. Grass fed cows are known to have three to five times more CLA than cows that are grain fed.

Since raw milk is not available commercially in the U.S., except some rare stores in New Mexico, California, and Connecticut, it takes some research to find a supplier. When deciding upon a supplier for raw milk it is imperative to be educated about the diet of the cows. The safety and health benefits of raw milk vary greatly based on diet. The milk from grain fed cows affects fat levels, nutrient levels, and must be tested more often than milk from grass-fed cows for safety. Ideally, cows should be fed organic fresh grass if possible.

The health benefits of raw milk are numerous. Good bacteria and CLA make raw milk an excellent choice for consumers who choose to include dairy in their diet.

Source: http://www.natural…

Dean Foods Creates “Natural” Dairy Products Using Conventional Milk

BOULDER, CO:  A division of Dean Foods, the organic industry’s largest namebrand manufacturer, rocked the organic world this week when it was reported that the agribusiness giant intended to create an entirely new, lower-priced, product category, “natural dairy,” aimed squarely at pirating away organic customers.  If successful Dean, the largest milk processor in the United States, will add to the pain many organic farmers are feeling due to slowing sales caused by the economic downturn.

For the first time the Horizon namebrand will market products that are not certified organic.  Horizon has had the highest dollar volume of any organic industry brand.

Dean’s WhiteWave-Morningstar division, which controls the Horizon, Organic Cow, Silk, and other specialty brands and is based in Longmont, Colorado, has launched their “alternative to the organic label” at a time when sales in the industry have flattened after averaging 20% per year growth rates for more than a decade.  Recent articles in the New York Times, Boston Globe, and the Associated Press have profiled falling prices and production caps now being placed on farms producing organic milk—with many of these family farmers now facing financial ruin.

“This move by Dean Foods comes at a time when organic dairy farmers around the country are in financial crisis due to a glut of milk,” said Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute.  “Responsible participants in this industry are using their marketing strength to ramp up organic demand.  Dean has instead chosen to profiteer at the expense of the hard-working family farmers who have built this industry.”

This move comes on the heels of the recent decision by Dean/WhiteWave to switch almost the entire product offerings of their Silk soymilk line to “natural” (conventional) soybeans.  Many consumers and retailers have expressed outrage when the switch to conventional soybeans was quietly made in Silk products without lowering the price.  Industry critics have referred to the move as “sheer profiteering.”

“They are handling the introduction of natural products under the Horizon label a little bit differently than they handled their switch to conventional soybeans sourcing in Silk,” Kastel stated.  “With their soy products the appearance of their packaging and UPC product codes remained the same.”

Many retailers and consumers around the country, who had been longtime loyal customers, were outraged to find that their favorite organic brand had been switched to conventional, somewhat clandestinely.  This has caused some retailers to now drop the Silk products.

Sara Loveday, a marketing communications manager at WhiteWave told the Natural Foods Merchandiser, an industry trade publication:  “We’ve only been organic in the past and the majority of our business will remain organic.  These are our first natural offerings in the marketplace, and Horizon always tries to provide great-tasting products for moms and for families.”

The Dean/WhiteWave spokesperson continued by saying the natural Horizon products would be “easier on the pocketbook.”

“Many consumers do not understand green terminology,” said Suzanne Shelton, whose firm, the Shelton Group, just released a national survey examining consumer perception about food labeling.  “They prefer the word ‘natural’ over the term ‘organic,’ thinking organic is more of an unregulated marketing buzzword that means the product is more expensive.  In reality, the opposite is true: ‘Natural’ is the unregulated word. Organic foods must meet government standards to be certified as such,” Shelton concluded.

“It is apparent to us that moves toward “natural” dairy products offerings will have a negative impact on the organic category,” said Jack Lazor a certified organic dairy farmer from Westfield, Vermont.  “It is now more important than ever that consumers of organic dairy products understand the benefits of organic foods and farming.  We need to cultivate meaningful relationships with our customers so that we can cut through the veil of corporate greed where natural is easily mistaken for organic.”

Lazor and his wife, Anne, widely respected as one of the first organic dairy farmers in the United States, founded Butterworks Yogurt in 1984, a leading organic brand in the Northeast.

Organic food has grown from a small niche to a successful $24 billion market category fueled by consumers desire for a safer and more nutritious food supply.

“When the first Horizon natural products are introduced—a yogurt aimed at children and single-serve milk—they will promote them as being without growth hormones.  But Dean Foods will not be able to mention that the products are produced without pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and other drugs, and genetically modified feed crops, or that the cows are required to graze in pastures rather than confined to factory farm feedlots.  These are all factors that truly differentiate organic production from natural/conventional agricultural and livestock production,” explained Kastel.

In a letter today to Dean Foods’ chairman Greg Engel, The Cornucopia Institute, widely recognized as the nation’s preeminent organic farming industry watchdog, suggested that in order to preserve the integrity and shareholder value in two of the nation’s leading organic brands, Horizon and Silk, that the corporation reconsider its new tactical direction.  It questioned why a company, after substantial investments, would want to alienate a market demographic that has proven, over the years, to be highly dedicated and passionate.

“Dean Foods has just declared war on the organic industry.  Although the first shot has been fired it will not be the last,” Kastel lamented.  We hope they will reevaluate this ill-advised product launch.”

Source: The Cornucopia Institute

Market researchers seem to have decided that promoting the “green” attributes of your company or products will resonate with consumers.

There was certainly an overabundance of promotions in the lead-up to Earth Day this year.  And, in terms of marketing, Earth Day alone is not enough.  We now celebrate “Earth Week!”

You might think that a big-box retailer, calling itself “sustainable,” or “green,” hawking consumer goods that are mostly imported from distant third world nations, would be an oxymoron.  But the folks at the Target Corporation, and other sophisticated merchants, apparently don’t think so.

What really stuck in my craw was Target’s Sunday advertising supplement, tooting their green horn, citing such arcane facts as, “Did you know that Target offers a gift card made from 40% recycled materials?”

It also included a promotion for their Archer Farms organic milk, at about $.50 less per carton than name-brand organic milk at other grocery stores, natural food cooperatives or Whole Foods.

Organic milk is green.  Well, real organic milk, that is.

Target purchases their “organic” milk from a corporation, Aurora Dairy, that owns five giant factory farms milking upwards of 20,000 cows.  Packaged in a single processing plant in Colorado, it is then shipped, burning fossil fuels, to every state in this country—seriously undercutting the livelihoods of real, local and sustainable organic family farmers.

The United States Department of Agriculture, in investigating a legal complaint against Aurora, found that the corporation was in “willful” violation of federal law and that they fraudulently sold milk labeled as organic.  Aurora was confining their cattle to giant feedlots, instead of grazing as the law requires, and had brought in thousands of conventional animals, illegally, among 12 other violations of law.

The Bush administration overruled career civil servants at the USDA, who recommended banning Aurora from future involvement in the organic industry.  Instead, consumers around the country—consumers who are really “green”—have filed a total of 19 separate class-action, consumer fraud lawsuits against Aurora and their customers like Target, Wal-Mart, Costco and Safeway—all companies that are apparently proud of their “green” practices.

In response to the USDA findings, and in spite of the lawsuits, Target has arrogantly continued to sell milk manufactured by Aurora and to tout its social responsibility.  I just view this as the height of hypocrisy.

So it is up to us as consumers to support merchants who are truly concerned with our communities and environment, and to avoid the fast talking flimflam outfits hoping to capitalize on our growing interest in taking responsibility for our impact on the Earth through the products we purchase.  A ranking of all organic milk brands is available at: www.cornucopia.org

Mark A. Kastel
The Cornucopia Institute
kastel@cornucopia.org
608-625-2042 Voice
866-861-2214 Fax

California’s two raw milk producers filed suit Thursday to keep the state from imposing a strict new standard that, they say, would put them out of business.

The suit, filed in San Benito County Superior Court, is part of an all-out effort by the raw milk dairies and the estimated 40,000 dedicated raw milk consumers in California to forestall enforcement of the new law, AB1735, which takes effect January 1.

It was filed by Claravale Farm, which recently moved its herd to Paicines (San Benito County), and Organic Pastures of Fresno against the state Department of Food and Agriculture.

The agriculture department hadn’t yet seen the lawsuit and had no immediate comment, spokesman Jay Van Rein said.

“Right now, the department is preparing to enforce the law when it takes effect,” Van Rein said.

The new standard, he added, is “just a matter of staying ahead of the curve on food safety.”

For the first time, the law limits coliform bacteria in bottled raw milk to just 10 per milliliter, the same standard that pasteurized milk must meet.

The lawsuit contends that “it’s not technically possible nor economically feasible” for raw milk to meet such a low limit.

Van Rein, however, said California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura has checked with his counterparts in Washington and Pennsylvania, which also have adopted a 10-coliform limit, “to make sure their dairies have been able to comply.”

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9330.cfm

The messages we’ve sent and phone calls we’ve made to Pennsylvania’s governor Ed Rendell have had a significant effect in putting a temporary hold on Pennsylvania’s proposed ban on all types of rBGH-free labeling. There are serious negotiations going on now and we should have some major news before Christmas. THANK YOU for taking action - it’s having an effect!

Ohio also has a committee looking at this issue and may consider a labeling ban like Pennsylvania’s. Their committee is more balanced than PA’s (it has at least three people opposed to rBGH) but get this: There is only one person out of 20 on the committee listed as a consumer, even though labeling is primarily a consumer issue. This “consumer” was, until recently, a Monsanto field representative in Ohio that sold rBGH. Moreover, nearly all the dairy farmers on the committee use rBGH, even though a large majority of farmers throughout the nation don’t use it.

The antidote to the poison of undue corporate influence is massive public response - PLEASE send a message to Ohio’s governor, Ted Strickland, to let him know that the nation is watching them too. And please act soon, since Ohio is moving very quickly and may make a decision by the end of this year. THANK YOU!

And please do this again: FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE YOU KNOW AND ASK THEM TO ALSO SEND A MESSAGE. Our rights as consumers and citizens are being threatened again - we must stand up to Monsanto and their bedfellows.

______________________________________________________________
The contact information is:
To send an e-mail, go to the governor’s website: http://governor2.ohio.gov/.
Then click on “Contact us” on the right hand side and you can send your e-mail. To telephone the governor’s office call: 614-466-3555

To mail a letter, use this address:
Governor Ted Strickland
Governor’s Office
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6108

www.organicconsumers.org

Class Action Suits Seek Damages from Wal-Mart, Target, others.

In a scandal now ensnaring some of the nations leading retailers, a series of lawsuits have been filed accusing Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Safeway, and Wild Oats of consumer fraud for marketing suspect organic milk.

The legal filings in federal courts in Seattle, Denver, and in Minneapolis, against the retailers, come on the heels of class action lawsuits against Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado. The suits against Aurora and the grocery chains allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.

“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia’s own investigation and formal legal complaint, in 2005, first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” Kastel added.

Law firms based in Seattle, St. Louis, and New York, in addition to other cities, have filed at least eight lawsuits against Aurora, representing plaintiffs in over 30 states. Five lawsuits against the retailers have been filed so far.

Attorneys are seeking damages to reimburse consumers harmed by the company’s actions. Some of the lawsuits request that the U.S. District Courts put an injunction in place to halt the ongoing sale of Aurora’s organic milk in the nation’s grocery stores until it can be demonstrated that the company is complying with federal organic regulations.

Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for many of the nation’s biggest chains. In addition to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, and Wild Oats, Aurora serves as supplier to 15 other national and regional chains.

Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora—with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows—had 14 “willful” violations of federal organic regulations. One of the most egregious of the findings was that from December 5, 2003, to April 16, 2007, the Aurora Dairy “labeled and represented milk as organically produced, when such milk was not produced and handled in accordance with the National Organic Program regulations.”

Cornucopia’s own research, since confirmed by the two-year investigation by federal law enforcement agents, found that Aurora was confining their cows to pens and sheds in feedlots rather than grazing the animals as the federal law requires. Furthermore, Aurora brought conventional animals into their organic milking operation in a manner prohibited by the Organic Food Production Act, a law passed by Congress in 1990 and implemented in 2002 by the USDA.

The stores sell Aurora’s milk under their own in-house brand names, such as Costco’s Kirkland and Target’s Archer Farms, in cartons marked “USDA organic,” typically with pictures of pastures or other bucolic scenes.

“That’s not even close to the reality of where this milk was coming from,” said Steve Berman, a Seattle lawyer whose firm is among those suing. “These cows are all penned in factory-confinement conditions.”

“This is the perfect example of modern-day Agri-business bullies literally stealing the milk money from an unsuspecting public,” said Washington state consumer Rachael Doyle. “We have been willfully deceived by corporations motivated solely by greed.”

Cornucopia points out that Aurora is a “horrible aberration,” and that the vast majority of all organic dairy products are produced with high integrity. In a scorecard published last year, and available on their web site, Cornucopia rates over 90% of organic name-brand dairy products as truly subscribing to the letter and spirit of the law (available at www.cornucopia.org).

“Aurora’s actions have injured the reputation of the more than 1500 legitimate organic dairy farmers who are faithfully following federal organic rules and regulations,” noted Kastel. “We cannot allow these families to be placed at a competitive disadvantage.”

Mark Pepperzak, Aurora CEO, said, “The allegations in this smear campaign against AOD are based on false information and, therefore, completely unfounded.” The company has said that their business has yet to be affected by the high-profile controversy. However, some of Aurora’s largest customers have now switched to alternative suppliers.

“We have learned that Wild Oats and the Publix supermarket chain in Florida are no longer buying milk from Aurora,” stated Kastel. “In addition, the nation’s largest distributor of natural and organic products, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has also secured an alternative source for their Woodstock Farms brand.” Kastel also said that although he was unable to publicly disclose the names of retailers at this point in time, a number of others have contacted Cornucopia for their listing of six other private-label organic milk processors.

Many industry observers feel that the USDA’s enforcement mechanism broke down in the Aurora case. After career USDA staff drafted a Letter of Proposed Revocation, seeking to prevent Aurora from engaging in organic commerce, political appointees at the agency intervened, crafting an agreement allowing the politically connected company to remain in business.

“It is unconscionable that the USDA allowed Aurora to continue, after making millions of dollars, in this ‘ethics-based’ industry, when they had concluded that Aurora willfully violated the law,” Kastel added. “However, there is a higher authority in terms of organic integrity than the USDA—that’s the organic consumer. And they are about to make their voices heard through the courts.”

www.cornucopia.org

U.S. presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-Texas) has introduced legislation (HR 4077) that would allow the transportation and sale of raw milk and raw milk products. His bill would remove an unconstitutional restraint on farmers who wish to sell these products, and people who wish to consume them.

Ron Paul took this action after he heard from many people who would like to purchase unpasteurized milk — people who had done their own research and come to the conclusion that unpasteurized milk is healthier than pasteurized milk.

“These Americans have the right to consume these products without having the federal government second-guess their judgment about what products best promote health,” Paul said.

“I urge my colleagues to join me in promoting consumers’ rights, the original intent of the Constitution, and federalism by cosponsoring my legislation to allow the interstate sale of unpasteurized milk and milk products,” he continued.

Sources: LewRockwell.com November 17, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Ron Paul is committed to making positive changes in the health-care arena, and this move to legalize the sale of raw milk proves that.

Raw milk is truly a health-promoting food, but the way the laws are currently configured, many Americans are forced to break the law to obtain it.

As Ron Paul stated, most of you who drink raw milk are doing so because you have done the research, or experienced the benefits first-hand. The federal government really has no place telling you what is healthy for you and your family.

Ironically, the same government that allows trans fats, fast food and corn syrup to proliferate the market thinks that you need to be “protected” from the valuable nutrients in raw milk. If you follow the money trail, you will indeed find out the very precise reason why this is.

If this legislation is passed, it would make obtaining healthy raw milk so much easier for many of you, and I applaud Ron Paul for introducing it.

In case you aren’t familiar with some of Paul’s other health-related opinions, he believes in:

• Expanding the ability of Americans to use alternative medicine and new treatments.
• Opposing legislation that increases the FDA‘s legal powers.
• The notion that the government should never have the power to require immunizations or vaccinations.

More so than any other presidential candidate, Ron Paul is trying to improve the fatally flawed health paradigm in time to benefit you and your children.

So What Can YOU Do?

If you agree with Ron Paul’s message of health freedom and liberty then JOIN THE CAUSE!

I have never donated to any politician in my life. However, I am going to break that pattern now by contributing to the next Ron Paul drive on December 16. If you are considering donating to Ron Paul, do NOT do it until that time.

You see it is NOT directly about the money. He is only going to use the money to gather media attention — and by collecting so much money he has gathered millions of dollars of media attention that he could never afford to buy. This helped spread his message of freedom and liberty, which are both currently at risk in the United States.

If you can’t afford to donate, that is no problem. What you CAN do is SPREAD the word.

Search my site for previous Ron Paul videos and send them to ALL of your friends and relatives, and encourage them to sign up for the December 16 campaign.

There are 1.3 million people that receive this newsletter. We CAN make a HUGE difference. If only a small fraction of you spread this message in YOUR networks and communities just imagine what we can do.

So drive everyone you know and have them join the Ron Paul Boston Tea Party Campaign on December 16. This date is in celebration of the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in which the founding fathers of the United States made a difference that ultimately freed them from the largest military force on the planet at that time.

Also, if you want to show your support for Ron Paul in your neighborhood, get a yard sign.

If you saw the amazing water buffalo video you can start to realize that if we all unite together we really do have a chance to overthrow the lions that are trying to eat us alive.

www.mercola.com