Guest Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 http://petesmilk.co.uk/farm.htm This farm is very near to my home and I drive past it several times a week. I would love to get our milk fresh from the farm and it's sales pitch says there are many benefits in having whole natural untreated milk. Does anyone know what the risks are of 'Raw Milk'? Obviously bad bacteria could get into the system, but I would guess since the purpose of the milk is to feed calves, on the whole there isn't a problem with it. I'd be grateful for any of your thoughts though, as this is a new area to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I can't recall the risks Ginette (Louise would be the best for that), but I have drunk 'raw milk' still warm from the cow and lived to tell the tale. Every summer, I used to spend a week or two helping out on a friends' dairy farm in Cornwall; part of the deal was fresh, warm milk every morning - it tastes like no other and is supposed to have lots of good antibodies in it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 The farmer where I went lambing used to go milking at 4am and come back with a jam jar of milk. I never asked, just assumed it was from the dairy. I would really like to go milking, and am interested in wether it is ok to drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I have and still would drink raw milk The main difference is it will go off much more quickly as it hasn't been 'sterilised' which is what most treatments do Pastuerised milk is heat treated as is UHT but at a much higher temp and things like cravendale which are closer to raw milk is cleaned by filtering it Most treated milk has the cream content mostly mixed up in it this is homogenisation (I don't think organic is though) it makes the milk uniform us older bods will remember the days of cream rising to the surface of whole milk which it doesn't do now the fat content is mashed up to make it all incorporate together Yes there will be bacteria in the raw milk but it should not be the nasties as udders are washed well before milking and the first draw of milk is discarded so the stale stuff in the end of the teats is not there milking machines monitor the consistency of the milk as it comes out so if there is a mastitis going on the bacterial cell count goes up the machine senses this and the milk from that cow should not be used if it is a hand milked cow this is down to the experience of the milker noticing the milk is not right I would not be happy about giving raw milk to an elderly person who may have an impaired imune system or anyone on drugs to supress their immune system for any reason but I would recommend it for anyone else so long as the farm is operating to correct standards it will boost your immunity to bugs as it is not too clean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Thanks Louise - I knew you'd know the answer. I remember the cream on the milk freezing up out of the top of the bottles W can buy milk like this from a local organic dairy; the taste really takes me back to childhood...Mmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Funnily enough Clare I really am not keen on the tatse on non homogenised milk now I only use skimmed and find organic milk has a very odd taste so I tend to avoid it which is what makes me think it isn't homogenised I would still try raw milk if I could get it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 We generally buy organic semi-skimmed milk, but I buy the milk from the local diary when I see it available in a local shop. I don't like their full-fat though - it's too claggy for my tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Thanks Louise I'm going to give it a go. What do you think about freezing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I don't see why not Ginette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I was just worrying about it separating and then not mixing properly. I'll just have to give it a try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Apparently, raw milk is best for making cheese - I wish I could get some! Let us know how it goes Ginette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I don't know anything about "raw" milk, but when my boys were small and were finished breastfeeding, I used to buy milk "from Jersey & Guersey cows". I can't remember the name but it was full fat. I regularly froze it and it defrosted really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Apparently, raw milk is best for making cheese - I wish I could get some! Let us know how it goes Ginette It'll be the bacteria content Lesley it will encourage the process with growing cultures etc We are far to hung up on bugs nowadays and the overuse of antibiotics has caused a huge wave of problems if we ate more of this sort of thing our immune systems would deal with infections better and reduce the need for antibiotics They would still be needed but not as much I haven't taken any for about 9 years now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 It seems to be one of the latest trendy things in London. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml?xml=/wine/2008/01/18/edmilk118.xml It sounds delicious though and I'm going to get some this afternoon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Thanks for starting this topic Ginette. I went looking for raw milk in my area and found this website which lists raw milk producers in England (I didn't check if it covered Wales; I believe raw milk is illegal in Scotland) http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/resources/dairy/index.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 A tiny note of caution.... an acquaintance of ours got of Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome a few years back,through drinking raw milk. She was a child at the time. The E.coli damaged her kidneys and she is in renal failure. Maybe it is best not to give it to children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Thanks Egluntine. I would not give it to young children. My youngest is 10 and I worry that he may be too young, but he is fit and healthy and certainly not small for his age. The farm is small and self-contained with its own bulls, so nothing from outside is ever introduced. I'm sure the milk is tested regularly for any unpleasant bacteria. I bought my first 4 litres today and we rushed home to try it. It is lovely! and filling! I would say it tastes just like whole milk but with more quality. I don't drink any milk at all usually, but I think I am going to have a glass of this every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Ecoli comes from faeces which is why the udders should be washed prior to milking the bacteria will not have been in the milk whilst in the udder it is not possible so long as the hygiene is good these bugs should not be able to get into the milk E coli infections only occur in cases where there has been poor hygiene it lives in a specific area within the gut of the cow and nowhere else so in meat it is because the guts/rectal area have not been removed carefully and the flesh has become contaminated and in milk because the udder or machinery was not cleaned well enough Sorry to hear about your friend though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Yes...it's a real shame. She wasn't the only one affected, there were eight of them I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
