Organic milk is gaining a lot of popularity today. The superstores have devoted full sections to this product, while there are still a vast majority of people who don’t understand what’s wrong with the regular milk that has been used by them all this time. Is organic milk the more original one or is the regular one we have currently the predecessor of it? Is organic milk just a fad, like so many other health fads that have infiltrated the world right now? These are some of the questions that are haranguing people’s minds.
What Is Organic Milk?
So, what is organic milk? Basically, this is milk that has been obtained from cows and buffaloes that were kept completely on natural feed. These cows aren’t given any synthetic hormones or supplements that other cows and buffaloes are sometimes given to boost their milk producing ability. They are kept away from anything that is laden with chemicals and is billed as synthetic. In fact, this is done to such an extent that these cows and buffaloes aren’t even given the same medicines that regular cows and buffaloes are given—they are only given natural versions of any medicine when they fall sick.
Regular milk, on the other hand, is different. In most dairy farms, cows and buffaloes are given some booster hormones and other chemicals so that their milk production increases. They are given feed that has been grown synthetically using artificial fertilizers and sprayed with chemical based pesticides, fungicides and bactericides to keep them away from diseases and other destructive factors.
Organic Milk vs. Regular Milk—A Comparison
When you consume regular milk, you are taking in the various chemicals that were used in the production of this milk, right from the chemical fertilizers that were used in developing the fodder for the cattle to the synthetic preservatives that are used in keeping the milk fresh for longer. This can take its toll on your health. In some cases, these chemicals have been found to produce health conditions such as eczemas and allergies and, in some cases, even the risk of cancer is found to be increased.
The process of pasteurization for organic milk follows a different pattern than that used for regular milk. While pasteurizing regular milk, artificial preservatives might be added. However, organic milk producers reject all such types of chemicals. Instead, they use a technique known as ultra-high temperature pasteurization, in which milk is heated to a temperature much above its boiling point and then cooled in different ways. This treatment actually works quite well because it ends up making the milk more fortified than regular milk that is available. Consequently, the shelf life of organic milk increases.
However, when you take a look at the individual nutrient levels in organic and regular milk, you will find that there is no major difference. Milk produced by both methods has the same nutritional value and hence it is equally healthy.
But, people are still moving towards using organic milk, and the reason for that lies in the fact that this milk is healthier and as away from synthetic additions as it can get.