When it comes to our food many families face a dilemma that has been brought on by the recession. While we are all aware of the benefits of healthy eating, would prefer to eat only locally sourced, organically produced, seasonal produce; we’d also like to do so at an affordable price.
Organic milk and other organic produce are well known for their green credentials but they’re also known for the price tag that those credentials can command. Many of us have, in recent years, found ourselves guilty avoiding the righteous glances of those organically produced foodstuffs on the supermarket shelves or on the weekly grocery delivery list. However research shows that organic milk can indeed not only be better for the environment, but is actually healthier than the less organic variety. If you’ve recently stopped the organic milk delivery, it may be time to rethink that money saving decision.
What is the Difference, Anyway?
First of all it’s worth going back to basics on the milk front. Modern production methods mean that the majority of milk is pasteurised (heated) to kill off harmful bacteria and also make the milk last longer. It’s also normally homogenised, which means the cream content in the milk is thoroughly mixed to stop it from separating (if you’re old enough to remember the battle with Britain’s birds in the morning over the doorstep pint, you’ll know what I mean). Organic milk normally goes through these processes and can also come in the lower fat varieties (skimmed, semi-skimmed etc.). However, organic milk is produced without the aid of chemicals and fertilisers; meaning it’s sourced from cattle that are fed on pastures which are not only green and pleasant, but are not blitzed with modern day chemicals and fertilisers. In fact during the whole production of the milk, the land and the cows are generally treated with more respect and less chemical intervention. The results are simple; more intensive farming procedures and a slightly higher cost per pint. However, studies have shown that it’s not just the wholesome feeling you get from doing your bit to create a better environment that you’ll be paying for – and that organic milk is actually healthier.
Best of the Best?
Milk has been part of the human diet since some bright spark thought about keeping the fatted calf and milking it, rather than just sacrificing it for a quick protein boost. Our bodies have evolved to accommodate drinking, digesting and reaping the benefits of milk. Milk also contains essential building blocks for our bodies, but it’s also known for containing higher levels of saturated fats that are not good for our health – hence the development of the skimmed varieties. Milk also contains fatty acids – the type of acids that are good for you and found in oily fish. However, previous research had suggested that organic milk did not contain significantly higher levels of these, or lower levels of the bad saturated fats to justify claims that it is better for us. More recently, studies by researchers at Newcastle University have countered these findings and have suggested that organically produced milk does indeed contain less of the bad stuff and more of the good, than traditional milk produced on a vast commercial scale. Additionally, nutritional content in organic milk was found to be high and consistent, whereas in non-organic varieties the nutrition levels were found to vary widely, particularly during different seasons. With organic milk nutrition levels and quality were found to remain largely the same throughout the year, regardless of the season.
Trending Trends
It has to be said that if we believe every piece of food research that comes out we’d all probably be forced to either stop eating and/or try to subsist on a bowl of light gruel and some water. What is good for us, bad for us seems to change on a daily, if not hourly basis, and what is proved one week is disproved the next. However, it seems fair to say that humans have been surviving and thriving on diets containing organic milk since a little before the dawn of civilisation, and as we all know, often the old tricks are indeed the best. While it can be tempting to cut back on some organic produce, the organic milk delivery may be one to keep signed up to for the foreseeable!
Carlo is a freelance blogger and writes about organic food, grocery shopping and best restaurants in London.
