usda standards

More and more people are turning to organic milk. This milk is billed as non-hormone influenced and comes from cows that have eaten only organic feed not harmed by pesticides. Cows that produce “organic” milk have clean adequate pens, are allowed to stay for periods outside in sunlight, and are kept away from certain potentially harmful bovine meds to treat ailments and illnesses.

To be fair, organic milk today is no more nutritious than regular pasteurized milk. It simply goes through a different process that many consumers consider more ethical and health conscious in order to make it to market. All milks must comply with certain USDA standards in order to be sold legally at grocers and health store outlets.

The largest producer of organic milk is Horizon Organic, which churns out about $16 million of organic milk in a month. It is owned by Dean Foods and has more than half the entire market share (55 percent).

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More than three percent of all milk sold in the U.S. is organic milk, but the 10.2 billion-dollar industry has noted that milk consumption seems to be dropping by about eight percent every year. Organic milk, on the other hand, currently has a 23 percent annual growth rate.

Many dairy experts have wondered what is driving this phenomenon. It is an actual difference between regular milk and organic milk, or is it a mere perception? Many milk drinkers automatically assume that “organic” means better, somehow. Some studies have shown that grass-fed cows help humans produce more linoleic acid, which is cancer fighting.

Those who have reported not liking organic milk point to the taste as an influence. They say the ultra high temperature heating process that makes organic milk have a longer shelf life also makes it have a slightly burnt taste. Others point to cost as the inhibitor. A gallon of organic milk can cost up to $5. A gallon of regular milk comes in just under $3.