Proving that de facto corporate control of community foodways using the government as its hired thug is not just the purview of North America, Ireland has moved to ban all raw milk sales by the end of 2011.
This shocking development appears to be in response to an enormous and rapid surge in the sales of unpasteurized dairy since late 2010 when Irish dairy farmers realized the full implication of a 2007 European Union directive that actually superceded an Irish ban on raw milk sales by the Department of Agricultural Fisheries and Food (DAFF) in 1996.
One farmer told the Irish Times that his raw milk sales this past summer went from zero to 400 liters (about 100 gallons) per week in nothing flat.
The surge in raw milk sales in recent months has not brought any increases in food borne illness or disease, leaving one to ponder why the Irish government is moving so strongly to outlaw raw milk with one fell swoop.
As described so eloquently by William Campbell Douglass MD, the reasons are really not that difficult to grasp:
“Pasteurization is the hammer that industry uses to nail down control of everyone’s milk money.
Without pasteurization laws, farmers can sell direct to consumers and earn a good living. With those laws in place, however, most farmers have no choice but to sell their milk to Big Dairy operations for pennies on the dollar.”
Dr. Douglass MD goes on to say:
” … responsibly produced raw milk is not the risky cocktail you’ve been led to believe. In fact, bans like this one aren’t about safety at all – and they never are.
Farmers aren’t the only ones getting the shaft here – consumers also lose big, because pasteurization kills everything in milk worth having: powerful natural probiotics and healthy dairy proteins as well as key vitamins and minerals.”
The new ban planned to go into effect by year’s end was proposed by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and is to be enacted as statutory law on behalf of the DAFF by the Department of Health.
I find it curious that the Irish ban on raw milk sales coincides with changes to the lineup of grassfed butter produced in Ireland by Kerry Gold. Not only is the new “full fat” Kerry Gold tub butter that is being marketed as “more spreadable” than the traditional brick butter not nearly as yellow indicating poorer quality butterfat that is lower in nutrition, but the addition of the new reduced fat butter ominously indicates a more profitability based product line such as what would be promoted by the monopoly controlled Dairy industry in the United States.
It seems that Big Dairy has landed on the Emerald Isle in full force with the political and financial goal to control every drop of quality dairy produced by this primarily grassfeeding nation where cows graze on lush grass for most of the year.
Clearly, marketing control of the grassbased dairy produced in Ireland is a moneymaking opportunity with far too much profit potential for Big Dairy to pass up. Â Using the government to secure corporate control of the market by banning raw milk sales under the guise of improving public health is the crucial first step.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources: Banning Raw Milk Letter published in the Irish Times
That’s so sad, all about the pockets. People should have the right to eat and drink what they want.
What can we do? Who should we write?
I think Ireland relies on an infusion of tourist dollars, so I wonder if threatening to not travel there would help if enough of us did it. Who do we write?
I’m assuming the Irish Department of Health since they are the ones pushing the statutory change.
Hi Sarah
Bit late but it is actually Simon Covney the minister of agriculture pushing this.
Ireland Moves to Ban Skyrocketing Raw Milk Sales – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/5c2sNlNT
Hi Sarah, just a heads up the source link at the bottom of the article is incorrect “Source: Banning Raw Milk Letter published in the Irish Times” links to the Kerrygold butter article on your blog
Oops. Thanks for that. Will fix that now 🙂
The dairy industry here is big business! It also coincides with the poor breastfeeding rates and the groaning health system under pressure. In any case we Irish are a funny lot. Ban something and suddenly it becomes interesting! (We are beavering away doing our bit educating about the benefits of raw milk etc and I’d love to set up the Weston Price Chapter here as part of that.) Keep those blogs coming Sarah. I am a dedicated fan! If the Kerry group are reading your blogs you have a powerful momentum behind you!
I have complete faith that the Irish won’t take this one sitting down. You folks are a strong lot and will demand what is rightfully yours .. the choice to consume healthy food straight and fresh from the farm!
Hi Anne
Seen a couple of comments on here from you. Just found this blog last week & have been devouring it. I would love to set up a weston price chapter too & wonder if you are anywhere near me. I’m in Cork.
I say instead of banning the raw milk, ban the govt. ban the rich. band greed.
It makes me want to get a goat and a few chickens and go live in a remote area where nobody can find me. Sheesh.
Lol and a cow and a pig and lots of chickens in the middle of no where! I’d do it too!!
We are doing just that. We bought 4 acres and my husband has to drive farther to work, more gas money, But we spend a lot less on food. We have pigs, a calf, chickens for both meat and eggs and turkeys. We are thinking of getting a milk cow. It is just my husband and myself now sowhat to do with that much milk? We could feed the extra to chickens and pigs. We are becoming increasingly fearful of anything we have to buy to eat that we didn’t grow ourselves. It is a lot of work but it is healthy excercise. good blessings to all of you in your endeavers to be healthy.
http://t.co/Ndi8cv5y who wants your milk money?
Every time we go to the grocery we feed the monsters. It could be Big Agra, Big Food, Big Pharma and Big Gov. Every time we consume faux food from the grocery store we lose some of our health, our prosperity and our freedom. The monsters get stronger, we get weaker. The bitter truth is that we did it to ourselves.
Ciao, Pavil
Well said! Dollar votes are the most powerful.
I agree. That’s why I don’t buy food at the grocery store anymore, or use medicine from Big Pharma, etc… Vote with your dollars.
Oh, my goodness! Why??? Why do they have to do this? Are people really all this greedy and power-hungry?
The attempt at complete corporate control of what people eat reminds me of the nobility’s control of the salt routes in medieval times. Same deal, different era.
yes they are that greedy. the answer to this is to boycott all pasteurized dairy all over Ireland, refuse to buy it…let the farmers GIVE the milk away, and accept donations instead of outright sales. start a black market for it. lots of options, sell everyone their own cows…this is something that cannot be done w/out the participation of the citizens…so just say no, buy powdered milk or stick w/raw ….time for civil [or fascist[ disobedience. say no to those who would starve you of nutrients for money in their pocket, cause that is what its about. they’re trying to kill us all from the bottom up, make us fat, but in a state of malnutrition, time to start suing and boycotting folks…