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since late 2010 when Irish dairy farmers realized the full implication of a 2007 European Union directive that actually superceded an Irish ban on raw milk sales by the Department of Agricultural Fisheries and Food (DAFF) in 1996.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
This is depressing! I just returned from a shopping trip with a pound of Kerry Gold which I think is terrific butter only to read this! Supply and demand just kills this kind of food! I am so worried about our Organic Pastures Raw Milk here in California. The more they advertise, the more word gets out, the more we at our WAPF chapter recommend it, the more worried I am they won’t be able to keep up with the demand without compromises! Soooo, I will keep watching Kerry Gold to see what happens to their nice, golden grass fed butter and hope the good Irish people Occupy Dairy in their country!
I assure you, Mikki, that Kerrygold and our farmers are steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest production standards for our products. We continue to use the high quality milk that has always been delivered by our farmers.
KerryGold butter is in big demand here in the USA, so you can imagine what the demand probably is on a world wide basis. They probably can’t keep up with the traditional grass-fed butter, so they had to make changes byselling out to a bigger company who is now cheap charlie-ing their products.
This should be heard by BigPfood as a cry from the public for good, wholesome food, but instead they see it as an opportunity to milk (pun intended) the cattle, the farmers and the public for a buck. It’s the same story as any other successful, in-demand food – and isn’t it sad?
We appreciate your support of Kerrygold and are happy you enjoy our products. I do want to correct a part of your statement: Kerrygold is a co-op of dairy farmers and creameries in Ireland who uphold the high quality production you enjoy. We have not been sold to a bigger company, nor has our structure changed in any way.
Wow, you just totally made up a rumor D. How do you know they “probably” can’t keep up with demand, therefore leading to your wild conclusion of selling out to a bigger company for profit? It is not good or honorable to pass off speculation as fact.
Everytime I try to navigate your blog today I am receiving popups for a survey. This is the first time that this has occured.
I’m getting it too … I am reporting this to my blog hosting company to get this cleaned off. It’s malware.
Looks like its fixed now.
Makes me wonder sometimes……Ireland Moves to Ban Skyrocketing Raw Milk Sales – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/LaTsqhCh
What are the specifics–are they going to herdshares?
Yep, we’re next so we need to care about this and act on it. Can we please start a letter/email/fax campaign to the decision makers there? Ireland, like the premier of Canada, needs to know the world is watching. I believe Ireland relies heavily on tourist dollars, so how about we threatening to have a NO TRAVEL TO IRELAND campaign until this decision is reversed.
Who do we write? What bloggers can help galvanize people to act?
How horrible! Then again Europe has always had the most tyrannical laws when it comes to natural medicine, supplements, and food. They stick corporate control under the guise of “consumer protection”, truly they want everyone dependent on toxic drugs and food.
These are not safety regulations, they are economic regulations, plain and simple.
EXACTLY. Well said!
I just finished a huge glass of illegal Real raw milk with my two year old. It was wonderful! 🙂
I send illegal raw milk in my kid’s lunches….shhhhhh 🙂
How utterly despicable! When will the rest of the world learn the the US has it all wrong when it comes to nutrition? Oh, that’s right! The governments don’t care about the people, they care about Money. And the US leads the world in screwing over it’s citizens to turn a profit. Big Pharma? Big Ag? Disgusting.