After an initial review of Kaayla Daniel Ph.D.’s report on Green Pasture Products, I felt it necessary to state my current position as a consumer and as a Board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
I know it is important to many of you that I weigh in on this issue since it is potentially so upsetting to those who have been using Green Pasture Products and giving them to your children as I have for years.
In this report, Dr. Daniel contends that the Green Pasture’s fermented cod liver oil and butter oil products are rancid and harmful to health. Furthermore, she claims that lab tests show that the fermented cod liver oil isn’t even from cod and is low in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2.
These are serious accusations indeed and ones that cause alarm coming from a professional as highly qualified as Dr. Daniel.
To give you some background, my relationship with Dr. Daniel began in 2007 when I met her at the annual Wise Traditions conference. I found her to be intelligent and good-humored … with a blog named The Naughty Nutritionist how could you be too serious, right? Over the years she has been a great supporter of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s work, serving on the Board most recently as its Vice President. She has written many articles for the Weston A. Price website and Wise Traditions Journal. Some of her articles appear here on The Healthy Home Economist website.
So, for Dr. Daniel to deliver a lengthy report that calls into question the integrity of one of the most highly regarded producers of nutrient-dense food supplements is a matter to be taken seriously. And I have. And, I can assure you, so has the Foundation.
First of all, let’s look at what we know by way of general background:
- Cod liver oil and butter oil were both used by Dr. Weston A. Price DDS in his research early in the last century and considered nutrient-dense foods high in the fat-soluble activators.
- Green Pastures has been producing and selling cod liver oil and butter oil since at least since 2003 when I was first introduced to the company. The fermented cod liver oil debuted in 2007, and I immediately switched my family to this product which we have been using ever since with stellar results. I know many of you have experienced the same because you have written to me about it.
- Green Pasture Product’s fermented cod liver oil has been tested by two independent labs – one in the USA and in the UK – and found to be free of rancidity while containing valuable nutrients. These tests served as the basis for the WAPF Board deciding in 2014 that claims of rancidity were unfounded.
- Many leaders in the Real Food community, including Foundation President Sally Fallon Morell, have studied these products in detail and toured the facilities (yes, I’m one of those bloggers Dr. Daniel says were given VIP tours – but what Dr. Daniel fails to mention is that I wasn’t even blogging yet at the time of my tour) and have been convinced of their authenticity and quality – to the point we have been using them ourselves and giving them to our children for nearly 9 years with excellent results – always in the proper dosage and never to excess.
- Two different laboratories have found mostly vitamin D2 in Green Pasture Products cod liver oil, and Dave was honest enough to share this surprising information with the public. Also, the extra virgin cod liver oil (Rosita) was found to contain mostly D2 by one of these labs as well. This is something that intrigues the Weston A. Price Foundation Board very much and there are plans in motion already to look into this further.
Secondly, let’s look at what Dr. Daniel claims in her report:
- The report makes damaging claims that the Green Pasture Products are rancid and therefore harmful and these tests were conducted by several unnamed labs using a supposedly superior testing methodology and equipment.
- The fermented cod liver oil contains average to low amounts of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2.
- DNA testing shows that the fermented cod liver oil doesn’t come from cod but from the Alaskan Pollock (considered a member of the cod family).
- The fermented cod liver oil tests for transfats and the most likely way this could happen is via dilution with rancid vegetable oil of some kind.
- The High Vitamin Butter oil may come from Argentina and also tests rancid.
- Vitamin K2 is not what Dr. Price referred to as “Activator X”.
Lastly, here are the initial concerns I have about this report:
- The labs used to run these tests are unnamed with the letterhead blacked out on the actual lab reports. This is highly unorthodox and is a major red flag. There should be complete transparency here. If the lab work is credible and authentic, the lab should be more than willing to put its name behind the data like is done for other scientific research. Dr. Daniel questioned the reputation and methods of the labs that were fully transparent and reported the fermented cod liver oil to be free of rancidity and high in the fat-soluble vitamins, so shouldn’t the labs which claimed they were rancid be closely examined as well? How do we know the tests weren’t run by a rival manufacturer actively seeking to do damage to Mr. Wetzel?
- Dr. Daniel cites Dr. Ron Schmid ND as one of the funding sources for the report who claims fermented cod liver oil caused him to contract heart disease (which in itself is a questionable claim since he is a sample size of one which is meaningless in scientific terms). In addition, by his own omission, he took excessive amounts of regular cod liver oil for many years (from 1979-2006) and then switched to fermented cod liver oil for another six years, again taking it in megadoses (1-3 Tablespoons per day … up to 9X the recommended daily dosage). This dosage equates to up to 20 teaspoons of salt or 75 glasses of water per day. Such extreme behavior that few, if any medical doctors would recommend, is not the fault of a product, but rather the fault and poor judgment of the individual taking it. It also indicates a potential lack of objectivity in the report that is concerning.
- The remainder of the report’s funding is not fully disclosed which raises another serious red flag. Were these other funding sources third parties who stand to financially gain from damaging results?
- According to a very reliable source, Dr. Daniel notified Dave Wetzel of her concerns regarding the fermented cod liver oil being rancid a year ago, and he responded with an invitation to fly her out to his facility immediately at his expense and spend as much time as she’d like to thoroughly investigate his methods. He took her concerns very seriously and had a number of tests done right away that he forwarded to her. Why Dr. Daniel didn’t respond to his efforts to address her concerns remains unanswered.
Being the professional I know her to be, Dr. Daniel would certainly understand my concerns and would welcome healthy, rigorous scrutiny of the lab work and methods used for testing. I look forward to more clarification on these issues in the coming weeks and months as well as as a point by point rebuttal by Mr. Wetzel. There are always two sides to every story.
In the meantime, given the excellent results I have observed in my own family consuming fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil for the past 9 years, I see no concrete reason to make any changes until the claims in this report have been thoroughly substantiated with complete and utter transparency. I do very much agree with Dr. Daniel that more study is warranted.
The jury is still out on this and I, for one, am not going to knee jerk and abruptly change what has been working extremely well for my family for many years along with many other families I know.
I hope this summary of my thoughts helps in some way as you decide what is best for your own family.
UPDATES
The Weston A. Price Foundation has now published a lengthy response to Dr. Daniel’s report. Click here to review it.
Also, Dr. Chris Masterjohn has published an excellent rebuttal to Dr. Daniel’s report. Click here to review it. I, for one, have now decided to stick with the fermented cod liver oil as I have for the past 9 years based on this thorough analysis!
Trans fats in FCLO? Not so fast! Here are the latest test results.
More Information
Doctor’s Orders: Why Your Family Needs Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Fermented Cod Liver Oil: Myths and Truths of an Ancient Superfood
I DO wish I had seen some of the health transformations that I hear from others, but the FCLO we take diligently each morning (along with the butter oil) is one of those things we do because it must be good for us– not because we can tell any difference. In fact, in the same time period that we started these I have battled leaky gut, and hormone imbalance. I too will wait for more info before deciding though.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Please keep us updated with this story as it unfolds.
Thanks so much for your response, Sarah! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I am very uncomfortable with how Dr. Daniels went about releasing this information. She lost a lot of credibility in my eyes by not going to Mr. Wetzle first and allowing him to respond; very unprofessional. What upsets me the most is what all this hype is going to do to his business even if everything turns out to be completely unfounded. Anyone who has met him can verify that he is extremely transparent and open about what he does or does not know. I have had amazing results from taking GP FCLO and even being 26 weeks pregnant I do not intent to discontinue use.
I totally agree with you Megan! Thanks Sarah for taking the time! I’m not changing a thing. Green pastures infusion or any other product is superior to any other product in my eyes. This is not convincing to me either. Just lots of hot air to boost their agenda/product/ego.
Very irresponsible! Even as you feel this way, which you have a right, you do not have the right to risk the health of your child. How about ‘better be safe than sorry’? Why not find other food sources of d and a until there is a final answer on this product?
This email just hit my inbox from a lady who is confounded by this controversy ….
Hi Sarah,
Thank you very much for your post on this issue. I have been getting emails from friends and clients in an absolute frenzy. I was quite suspect when I saw the recommendation for the other EVCLO — follow the money. I was thinking that it was time for a new endorsement for a new product and a disparaging article on an old to fuel the economic driven race for health – yes, even in this “traditional” world of ours. my unfortunate take on this is that someone is getting paid to raise the profile of another CLO while slamming an old one that should let go of it’s grip in a “well oiled” community. If I’m out of line, please forgive my honesty but I see this as another fine example of capitalism and hard ball marketing in a time fueled by fear of chronic disease and a captive audience. I find it very sad.
I hope you and yours are going really well and thanks again for being a sober voice of reason seemingly unmotivated by making the big bucks off of a trusting community of loyal consumers.
It does remind me of the sham “scientific” studies done so often to justify some new chemical/drug that Big Pharma wants to sell us. It’s a reminder that even in the natural health world, one must follow the money very carefully and be aware of those shady motivations. Of course, that goes on both sides, and we’ll see how this plays out.
I would like to follow the money trail here. Who in WAPF is financially benefiting from Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil? I have used it for 10 years, and I am angry about what is going on. This oil is extremely expensive and we have sacrificed to be able to buy it. My heart started to have irregular beats about 5 yrs. ago despite being a “WAPF poster child”, drinking raw milk, bone broth, no foods that are GMO or conventional, pastured eggs etc. This story is so alarming and distressing as I no longer feel I trust Sally Fallon, or WAPF. To think that this cod liver oil might have trans fats in it behooves me.
What do you mean it behooves you?
Those were my thoughts exactly.
With the spread of traditional cooking I would imagine FCLO is a fast growning business. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new FCLO brand emerge in the next few years.
Thanks for the great rebuttle, Sarah!
As nice as this email sounds, it frustrates me because he does not actually answer any of the allegations in Dr. Daniels report at. all. Why can’t he release a statement notifying people as to whether they use transfats and what the fermentation process is, etc, etc. Many people have spent literally hundreds on his products, the least he can do is tell us what is in them and how they are made! In addition, I am quite sure he pays money to WAPF as a spondor, so the accusations he hurls at Dr. Daniels as being possibly financially motivated (which he has no proof of), in fact do apply to his own situation with WAPF!!! Smoke and mirrors tactics – Mr. Wetzel, please just address questions people want answered about your product.
This email is not from David Wetzel, it is from a reader who emailed me her thoughts! Here is the GPP response: http://www.greenpasture.org/utility/showarticle/?eid=4189&usid=bbf56e1b1fbee171076926f61035cd5b&objectID=9336
I believe we will see in time that there is an alliance between Dr. Daniels and Rosita. I know of a personal alliance that I cannot disclose at this time. Additionally, Dr. Schmidt has already stated that he has switched from GPP to Rosita. And BTW, Rosita is also a donor to the WAPF.
The email said exactly what I thought when I first read Sarah’s post about this issue. This is Bernays style propaganda to get knee jerk lemming reactions from people who desperately want the best health they can have. It’s sad. They move us about with their versions of “shock and awe” instead of hard hitting truth. There is a difference in the two.
I am going to quit taking the product because some of what her report said, resonated with me. MY dealings with Dave have not been the best. He does not seem to like to be transparent and truthfully my Vit D levels were sooooo low, even after taking the FCLO for a year. We all have our personal beliefs about these things and need to listen to what our gut is telling us.
I agree! If something else works for you better, then by all means take it!
With everything that has happened in the last few months to (Drs being found dead) I am highly suspicious of this report as well. There is no end to what big pharma will do to keep us from being healthy without their poison! Everyone has their price.
There are a number of undercurrents in play in this story that I am not at liberty to discuss. I very much would if I could. The word here is caution and skepticism given that the labs aren’t named, the data cannot be verified and other issues which point to the possibility of data contamination.
Than as a board member yourself, please, open up a transparent and CURRENT investigation. I am sure the monies can be raised for the testing.
Yes, Shirley, that is exactly what I thought. I appreciate Sarah’s logical and reasonable delineation of reasons to tread slowly, and judiciously. Rumors are destructive. God bless those who seek the Truth.
Dave Wetzel is an absolute hero, and the most transparent producer I have ever seen. He has tons of extensive information on his website with regard to every minute detail about his products. The knowledge that he displays – and shares – is truly extraordinary.
Like others here, I have experience first hand the magic of Green Pasture products. The impact on my teeth is immediate and beyond question. Indeed, the proof is in the pudding, and no amount of false claims from Dr. Daniel will ever change my opinion of Green Pasture and Dave Wetzel.
Sadly, I have lost all respect for Dr. Daniel, and she is someone that I have listened to often on podcasts and such, and had considered her a trusted source of knowledge. No more. Her report is unforgivable, and is clearly driven by ulterior motives.
Thanks for your comments Sarah. I value your unbiased opinion and will keep taking the cod liver oil. It will be interesting to see how the report plays out,
Sarah is anything but unbiased in this situation
Actually, Green Pasture Products is NOT a sponsor of this blog. If you mean by biased that I respect the company and use the products, then that is true. However, I am not paid or sponsored in any way by David Wetzel for my opinions on his product line.
But your blog is linked on Green Pasture’s website…
Any link I have on this blog to the Green Pasture Products website is a non-affiliate link. In fact, Green Pasture Products doesn’t even have an affiliate program!
thank you~!
Sarah, your response is exactly what I have been pondering in my mind since reading Dr. Daniel’s Friday night published E book? There are exactly two sides to every story and I do know that well having retired from the Massachusetts State Police 20 years ago. Serving as a detective for over 6 years I know all to well that everything one sees may not be what it appears to be! I too have been taking the FCLO / FSLO since 2008 and in doses of 4 teaspoons a day (2 Cod and 2 Skate) for the past 5 years as of this month. At almost 67 years of age, I do house painting full time year round, retail sell the FCLO products nightly, and try to do at least one show with the FCLO monthly. This has been my schedule for the past 5 years selling the ‘oil’, which I plan to continue to take daily. I have numerous loyal customers, most of whom I have personally met, and I will honor the decisions they may make about the FCLO either way – but realize that some times a quick rush to judgement decision may not be the ultimate best one. Dr. Daniel refers to Sally Fallon Morell by name only in the opening paragraph of her 100 plus page E book. Dr. Daniel does not mention that Sally is the current Presdient of the WAPF until mid way through the E Book. I feel that Dr. Daniel showed a complete lack of respect for Sally Fallon Morell in doing this. What point is she trying to make? Is Dr. Daniel taking the WAPF Board of Directors decision not to test the FCLO personally? An investigation should be simply a reporting of ‘the facts’. I feel strongly from an ethical point that Dr. Daniel should resign as VP of the WAPF and if she doesn’t take that step on her own, the WAPF Board of Directors should so move the question! In closing, it should be noted that Dr. Daniel’s extensive detailed ‘investigative’ report says nothing about contacting the so named guilty party – Green Pasture Products- to ascertain ‘all the facts’. We do live in America not Russia, where ‘Naughty’ might be accepted. Tks for reading my sincere thoughts. JOHN
John, I figured you would say what you did. Will you buy back all the Green Pasture products I bought from you? I spent a fortune and it all went into your pocket and Green Pasture.