I bet you think that Milk is just Milk, and nothing added to it. Man, you're gullible.

I may be a bit odd, but my family didn't grow up drinking milk.  Allergies, wasn't supposed to.  When I was 20, I started to drink the stuff.  I stopped right after, for the reason why, email me.  It has nothing to do with any of the stuff I will talk about here today.  The stuff that milk is today though, is pretty sad.  And it starts with, the FDA.

(FDA Regs through CFR 101,94)  This is the website for the FDA regulations regarding ingredients, labeling requirements and what to put on the label, and what you don't have to put there.  It is the what you don't have to put on the label that is a bit surprising.  And right now, the FDA is in the process of determining whether the dairy industry as a whole should be allowed to add things like Aspartame to 18 different dairy products, including plain milk, AND NOT HAVE TO LIST IT IN THE INGREDIENTS.  Their reasoning is that consumers don't need to be confused as to what constitutes good nutrition and that they, the DAIRY INDUSTRY needs to make that choice for them.

Makes you feel pretty special now doesn't it.

The first part of the application to legally lie to you daily states this, "The petition asks that the standards of identity for these products be amended to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener in the optional ingredients."  This is directly from the petition, (HERE)  They also state that, "the proposed amendments would promote more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity by providing for lower-calorie flavored milk products"    Ummmmm, doesn't the scientific community now totally agree that non nutritive sweeteners do not in any way reduce obesity?  Well, other than the aspartame manufacturers, they still to this day claim it is safe.  The FDA itself has their Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) so that consumers can report problems with any food, drug, or whatever, and Aspartame has more adverse reactions THAN ANY OTHER FOOD ADDITIVE, DRUG OR WHATEVER!  Oh, huh.  Didn't the FDA itself ban Aspartame in 1975 after it was approved and a review of the studies made?  YES!  Back to that old problem, conflict of interest.  The GAO found no problems, but then again, US Attorney General Sam Skinner dropped the lawsuit against Searle for falsifying studies just before taking a job with Searle's law firm.  Arthur Hayes was the FDA commissioner that approved Aspartame the second time, and right after he did, he went to work for, you guessed it, Searle's public relations firm.  And the fun part of it all is that the GAO petitioned most of the scientists at the FDA about Aspartame, of the 67 that responded to the questionnaire, 12 stated that they had SERIOUS problems with it, 26 had MAJOR concerns over the safety, and 29 very okay with approval.  Isn't that over half?

Why don't companies bribe me with huge amounts of money to say nice things about their poison?

Anyway, the Dairy industry wants to take away YOUR right to know what is in milk and milk products.  I have read a lot about Aspartame, and it seems to me that the amount of controversy that exists should in fact mean that I and everyone, should have the right to choose if we want to consume the stuff.  I do on occasion eat ice cream, (never at Culvers, HFCS) and organic yogurt.  But that will have to stop, as I do not want to take the chance of consuming Aspartame, even in my organic yogurt, if the Dairy industry gets its way and is allowed to add this toxic additive to all of their products.

We all know about the 35 million dollar fund set up to compensate consumers that bought Dannon yogurt products right?  It seems that Dannon advertises that Activia is good for digestion, but never did any scientific research to substantiate that claim.  So some consumer groups sued, won and there is money available to anyone that wants to claim it, just tell them you bought the stuff based on their ads.  Still seeing those ads on the tube?  Yeah, they make a buttload of money.  35 mil is nothing.   I would think that the FDA would require them to stop, but then when has the FDA ever had you and other consumer's interests at heart.

You know, it is the Fourth of July, and I should stop, I won't go into the rBGH problems with milk, the high arsenic levels in most milk, the high antibiotic content and the associated pus from the huge problem with CAFO cows and mastitis that necessitates the use of so many antibiotics.  And pus is not bad, as long as you pasteurize it.  Or so they tell us.

But they tell us a lot of things, don't they.  Thank you Napoleon and Squeeler, life is good here on Animal Farm.