How to Be an Eco-Friendly Milk Consumer

Look at a glass of milk, and you might not think there's much to it. It's white, it's available everywhere, and it comes by the gallon. But hiding behind many of the labels and homogenized gallons are a myriad of green issues that can make it tricky to navigate all the choices that go with finding a green glass of milk. So, how can you be an eco-friendly milk consumer?

Like any green consumer choice, there's more than meets the eye. Most often, the milk we consume is an animal product, and so that requires lots of energy inputs, treatment to get it safely (and legally) from farm to market, and finally packaging and shipping the stuff. So there's a lot to think about, and a lot of gray area, with each little glass of the white stuff.

Sourcing green milk

When it comes to finding milk that's green from the source, there are a handful of labels and acronyms that will help you discern green milk from its conventional counterpart.

USDA organic

The health benefits of organic milk are well documented -- more omega 3 fatty acids, and higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants -- which is pretty intuitive, when you think about how organic milk is produced. Like other certified organic foods, the notable part about this process is what isn't allowed -- all of their feed has to be organic as well, which is a huge benefit for the animals and those of us who drink their milk, particularly in light of a recent discovery of the huge amount of chicken poop some cows are being fed. Blech.

Other benefits of organic milk have to do with what isn't allowed -- growth hormones and antibiotics. Read on for more.

rBGH, rBST, and other 'injectables'

rBGH -- that's recombinant bovine growth hormone -- which is also known as rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) is a hormone given to conventionally raised cows (and there are other versions for other animals) so they produce more milk. This can cause some pretty unpleasant side affects -- cows' udders swell to the point of dragging on the ground, for example -- and increased levels of cell-stimulating growth factors, apparently identical to those in humans, have been reported in rBGH milk. These could induce premature growth and breast stimulation in infants, and possibly promote breast cancer in adults.

Plus, many dairy farms raise cows on grain -- a food that makes cows fatten up faster but, because of their ruminant stomachs, they have not evolved to eat. As a result, stomach ulcers, indigestion and other issues are common among dairy herds, and all are treated with heavy doses of antibiotics. And, just like with the hormones, those antibiotics can get in the milk, and then in to you. Organic certification insures you don't have any of that junk in your milk.

The 'Happy Cow' Factor

Still, as organic milk has increased in popularity and demand, big-time, industrial-scale operations have figured out how to remain organic while maintaining the astoundingly high production that industrial agriculture has become infamous for. What does that mean to you? Not all organic milk comes from the idyllic scene, with happy cows lazily grazing in a sunny pasture, that we like to picture when we think "organic."

To maximize the 'Happy Cow Factor' -- that is, to get milk that comes from happy cows -- you may have to combine a few of the factors above, and maybe leave one or two out. For example, if you can find milk from a small, local dairy that isn't certified organic, but employs grass-fed cows and is rBGH-free, you may have a better chance of finding happy cow milk. And, if you have questions or concerns about it, you can just go visit the farm to see for yourself.

Green milk, Treatment Options, and You

Okay, so once you've found a solid source for green milk, it's time to consider how milk is treated before it gets to you. The USDA mandates that all milk for human consumption be pasteurized -- heated up, essentially -- so that any pathogens and bad bacteria get taken out of the picture, and microbial growth is slowed so that milk is safe to drink for a number of days with refrigeration.

There are four common types of pasteurization used for milk:

Vat Pasteurization heats milk to 145 degrees F and holds it for 30 minutes.

High temperature short time Pasteurization (HTST) heats milk to 161 degrees F and holds it for 15 seconds.

Higher-Heat Shorter Time Pasteurization (HHST) heats milk to 190 degrees (and higher, in some cases) and holds it for a second or so.

Ultra Pasteurization (UP) heats milk to a whopping 280 degrees F and holds it there for two seconds.

What does all that mean to you? The higher the temperature used in pasteurization, the longer the shelf, generally, but the more microorganisms (and there are some good ones in there) are killed, reducing some of milk's health benefits; it can also prevents milk's natural enzymes from being easily digested in your belly, which can be pretty uncomfortable. And, lots of organic milk is ultra-pasteurized these days, for a variety of reasons (but that's another post). So, beyond the organic vs. non-organic debate, sometimes you have to choose whether or not you want your milk boiled before it gets to you, or not. You can tell by just reading the label -- it'll usually either say 'pasteurized' or 'ultra-pasteurized' (or 'raw' -- more on that in a sec).

Milk's Green Packaging Options

Pablo looked at glass bottles, plastic bottles, and TetraPaks (those funny cardboard/metal/wax/plastic/etc. hybrids). Glass is the heaviest and most energy-intensive to create, so it comes out on the bottom; TetraPaks are the lightest package, and pack most efficiently, so their carbon footprint is the smallest. But, glass can be recycled almost infinitely (or, even better, returned for a deposit and reused), while TetraPaks are very difficult to recycle, so many municipal programs don't take them back. So, as with many green issues, greenhouse gas emissions are important, but not the end of the story.

The Raw Milk Wrinkle

The longer answer: Selling raw milk (or real milk) is illegal in 28 out of 50 states in the U.S., though it can be had most everywhere, if you're willing to work for it. The legal issues are most often chalked up as a food safety issue, because it's really tricky for a big government organization like the USDA or FDA to regulate, and it isn't just here in the United States; it's illegal to distribute raw milk in Scotland, but it is legal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, though the only registered producers are in England.

Anyway, because it isn't pasteurized, all the yummy microorganisms (and the less-yummy ones, too) are still in milk, so it can -- theoretically, at least -- be healthier for you (and it makes better cheese, too). But, because its safety can't be assured, you're sort of rolling the dice if you consume it raw. The Campaign for Raw (Real) Milk has some tips -- only go for milk that is full-fat, unprocessed, and from pasture-fed cows -- to reduce the risk; essentially, the better you know your cow (or sheep, or goat) and the farmer who raised it, the higher your chances of avoiding incident are.

So, in the end, raw milk might be the most eco-friendly way to go -- you pretty much have to get it local, you have to know exactly where it comes from, and it's really best if the animal that produced it leads a grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free, happy life, but proceed with caution and care. No matter which choice you make when it comes to milk, it's worth it to reach for the most eco-friendly gallon you can.