I don’t believe what you said about organic milk and Natrel Fine-filtered Milk being the same. How can you say this?

All our claims are true, and have been approved by the Advertising Standards Council of Canada, in accordance with Canadian law. This means that we have provided them with the proof they need in order to allow us to air the commercials.

What makes organic milk more expensive?

We can’t comment on their practices or prices.

Natrel Fine-filtered milk comes from local Ontario farms, where the farmers grow most of their own feed themselves. The cows are also given a nutritional supplement, like a multi-vitamin, to ensure again that they are getting a healthy balanced diet.  However, the cows are fed naturally, without chemicals or preservatives, and everything that is fed to them meets stringent Canadian government standards.  Any crops fed to cows are grown using methods approved by the Canadian government. This may include a GMO ingredient as a portion of the feed, for example, corn.

Does non-organic milk contain hormones?

The use of artificial growth hormones or hormones to increase lactation (RBST, BST, RGBH or any other artificial growth hormone) are illegal in Canada. They are legal in the United States, and much of the fear regarding hormones in milk is because we are often exposed to US media in Ontario.

No cow in Canada is allowed to be given these growth hormones and so no milk in Canada contains any of these hormones. The Canadian Dairy Farmers are one of the main lobbyists against allowing the use of growth hormones in Canada.

No white milk can be imported into Canada. Some flavoured milk (chocolate) may be, but Natrel does not import flavoured milks.

Does non-organic milk contain antibiotics?

It is illegal to have antibiotics in milk in Canada.

Although the various Canadian organic trade associations have a philosophy that encourage organic farmers to limit the antibiotics given to cows, they also make provision for cases where the cow’s life is endangered, or when it would be inhumane not to treat the cows, for illnesses they may have, with antibiotics.

However, no milk in Canada contains antibiotics. Whether organic or non-organic, milk from a cow given antibiotics is discarded for a minimum of 2 days after the cow has finished its treatment.  The amount of time a cow is taken out of the system, and the amount of antibiotic it is given is determined by a veterinarian, whether at an organic or non organic farm.

Milk is tested both at the farm on a selective basis, and again at the processor to ensure that no antibiotics are present in the milk.

Specifically, milk samples are taken at the farm on a regular basis and sent to the University of Guelph for evaluation and EVERY load of milk is tested again at Natrel, (or other processor) for antibiotics.

It is a very serious offense for a farmer to sell milk containing antibiotics. If Natrel detects antibiotics in a load of milk, the tanker is held and then Dairy Farmers of Ontario (the DFO) notified. The DFO tracks down the source of the antibiotic using a sophisticated tracking system that tells them exactly which farm the milk came from.

The DFO also instructs the processor where the contaminated milk can be safely disposed of. This milk never enters the human or animal food chains.

The Canadian Government and DFO would take any violation of the regulations regarding the purity of milk very seriously, and there would be a very serious penalty if any farmer, organic or not, violated the required guidelines. It is a serious offense to sell milk with antibiotics in Canada and the farmer could lose their license for doing so.

Does Fine-filtering make Natrel milk over-processed and less natural?

No. The filter works on the same basis as a water filter – it removes virtually all the spoilage bacteria that are naturally present in all milk.

Pasteurization heats milk to a high temperature, which kills all bacteria: spoilage and others. Only micro-filtering removes almost all the bacteria: spoilage and others.

This results in a milk that tastes and stays fresher longer (because it does not contain the bacteria –alive or dead – that makes milk go sour).

The filter does not remove any of the nutrients in the milk, because the nutrients are smaller than the holes in the filter. Bacteria are bigger than the filter holes, and bigger than the nutrients, so they are unable to pass through the filter.

Currently, no organic milk in Ontario is micro-filtered. All milk in Canada, organic or non-organic, is pasteurized.

Is it better to drink raw, unpasteurized milk?

It is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Canada because it has pathogenic bacteria that poses serious health risks. Organic milk sold in Canada has been pasteurized to the same standards as non-organic milk.

I thought that cows were milked by machines on giant farms, where they never get to roam freely.

It is an Agriculture Canada milk producer guideline that all cows have access to pasture and fresh air.  Many dairy cows are free ranging.

 In the United States, the average herd size for a dairy farm is 105 cows, and their farms are referred to as factory farms.

 In Canada, the average herd size is 62 cows, allowing better management.

Do organic cows drink purer water?

Cows in Ontario drink ordinary water, from municipal supply or wells. They also breathe the same air, whether they are on organic farms or not.

Organic cows and non-organic cows drink water from similar sources.

Is organic milk a better quality than other milk?

No white milk in Canada contains chemicals or preservatives.

Natrel Fine-filtered Milk and organic milk are the same nutritionally. No milk in Canada contains preservatives or chemicals. The only biological difference between organic milk and Fine-filtered Milk is that Natrel Fine-filtered milk contains 92 times less of the bacteria that causes milk to sour, because it has been fine-filtered.

The DFO says, regarding quality, that:

“Milk is the most heavily safety-tested food in the Canadian food supply system.

Ontario dairy farms are inspected regularly under Dairy Farmers of Ontario Raw Milk Quality Program to ensure that Ontario milk meets provincial standards. Inspectors ensure that all surfaces and equipment are clean and that milk is cooled efficiently. Inspectors also look for Grade A management practices such as good cow housing, sufficient pasture area and exclusion of milk from cows that are being treated for illness with drugs or antibiotics.

Ontario producers who do not consistently meet regulatory standards are fined and eventually shut-off. Penalties and costs for milk containing contaminants can be as high as $15,000”.

Are there more nutrients in organic milk because of the feed?

In order to make a specific nutritional claim (either on packaging or in advertising) the Canadian Government has identified very specific levels of nutrients must be present in a product. Currently, no organic milk makes a nutritional claim that is different regarding what their milk contains versus other milks.

Organic cows are not fed with GMOs and animal derivatives in their feed. Are Natrel cows?

All milk in Canada is pure, and the feeding of the cows meets stringent government-regulated standards. There may be a GMO ingredient in the feed of non-organic cows, such as corn.

Why does Natrel milk cost more than regular milk?

Natrel fine-filters their milk to remove 92X the bacteria (alive or dead) still present in regular or organic milk after pasteurization.

Pasteurization kills all bacteria, but micro- filtering removes it – dead or alive. No organic milk in Canada is currently micro-filtered.

Fine-filtering does not remove any of the nutrients naturally present in milk, because the nutrients are smaller than the holes in the filter. Because bacteria are larger than the holes in the filter, they are unable to pass through the filter.

Sources:

Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO)

Dairy Products Regulations Canada (Canada Agriculture Products Act)

Advertising Standards Council of Canada