Four steps to sustainable milk

Milk is promoted by the dairy council, doctors, and researchers as one of those maximum nutrition foods. They’re not wrong. Milk is good for most folks – barring lactose issues because it contains lots of great vitamins and minerals and can help ward off numerous diseases and health issues.

That said, conventional milk creates some major eco-issues. There’s no proof that organic milk is more nutritious but conventional milk does create problems for people concerned with hormones and supporting sustainable farming methods. Here’s how to make sure your milk is eco-friendly in four easy steps.

1. Avoid rBST: Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rbST) is an artificial stimulant given to cows. It increases milk production but puts stress on the cows. It also shortens a cow’s milking life. It’s not necessary and it’s been banned in many places (not the U.S.). BUT keep in mind that there’s a debate about this right now. A new study shows that cows given rSBT produce a substantially larger amount of milk which in turn reduces the amount of cows needed, which in turn reduces planet impact. I think – avoid it still. We put so many unnatural things into our bodies already and this hormone is an easy one to reduce simply by purchasing rBST free dairy.

2. Look for organic and local: Look for the certified organic seal which means you’re more likly to be buying milk with less additives from cows fed organic feed and the farmers focus on sustainable farming methods. Local is almost always better no matter what you’re buying because it supports people in your community and cuts down on shipping emissions, but with milk it also helps to ensure you’re getting super fresh and healthy milk.

3: Look for a shorter shelf life: Pasteurization of milk is necessary to kill off harmful microorganisms that produce disease, can ruin milk, and possibly make you and your family sick. However, some pasteurization methods go overboard. For example, UHT process kills almost all microorganisms and allows for a shelf life that’s unusually long, and zaps some of the vitamins. Milk that features the HTST process has been pasteurized to kill many but not all organisms so the shelf life is shorter, but it insures that the milk is produced locally and still has all the vitamin potency. You want to buy milk that’s pasteurized with the HTST method.

4. Buy sustainable packaging: Buy milk in recyclable paperboard cartons or recyclable opaque containers. Both can be recycled and offer light protection. Milk, when exposed to light can lose both flavor and vitamins. Glass is a smart packaging choice in many cases, because it’s reusable and recyclable, but it’s not light protecting. Paperboard is best overall because it’s not plastic and won’t leach any chemicals into your milk.

What sort of milk do you buy?

[image via stock.xchng]