4/23/24 - Raw Milk: What's the Risk?; Spotlight: 2 Questions for Dietitian Clancy Harrison; Build Up Mini Meet Up; Badly Explain Your Profession; Build Up AMAZON store; 4 Things You May Have Missed

🐄Raw Milk Is a Food Safety Risk

(Do we really have to explain this to Dietitians & Nutrition Professionals? 🙄Apparently, the answer is yes.)

More states seem to be loosening restrictions on direct-to-consumer sales of raw milk. Citing their rights, and referencing claims of health benefits by wellness influencers, some are pressuring legislators to ignore warnings of public health, food scientists, dietitians, food safety and medical experts and allow sales of raw milk.

Epidemologist, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz - “The thing about raw milk is that…There is a fairly large risk, and only vague, theorized benefits. Despite making up a tiny fraction of milk sales in the US, raw milk causes the majority of milk-associated outbreaks in the country…your risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk is somewhere in the range of 50-150x higher than drinking pasteurized milk.”

What if you do get sick from drinking raw milk that has Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella? The issues may last well beyond a tummy ache and diarrhea and could result in long term health problems like: reactive arthritis, IBS, Guillain-Barre syndrom, hemolytic uremic syndrome and even death.

So you have to ask yourself, ‘Is this worth the risk to yourself? to your child? to an elderly person with a compromised immune system?

💡Spotlight - 2️⃣ Questions for dietitian Clancy Harrison

website: Home - Clancy Harrison

LinkedIn: Clancy (Cash) Harrison | LinkedIn

Q1: If someone has never heard of the Food Dignity Movement, how would you explain it? 

“The Food Dignity® Movement is a grassroots initiative reconnecting our regional food supply chain through local agriculture acceleration, workforce development, economic investment, and food sustainability. We recognize that nutrition security and food sustainability are complex and interconnected, stemming from various social, economic, food racism, and political factors. We shifted from fighting hunger to creating food equity. In order to do this, we must challenge the current systems in place who fight hunger. A key component of the Food Dignity® Movement is challenging and transforming the current systems in place that contribute to food insecurity and inequity. As long as hunger and poverty exists, we all have room for improvement.”

Q2: What's one thing you wish more dietitians realized about food insecurity (or food banks)? 

“If we are going to end hunger, we need strategies, programs, and policies to extend beyond the typical hunger relief work. Food insecurity intersects with workforce development, economic stability, national security, and food sustainability. However, most programs only focus on food distribution. We need new solutions that are sustainable and support our local and regional food supply chain. Our tax dollars should be invested back into our communities. Our communities should also have a voice on how the money is invested to solve their problems. Food is not a commodity; it is a human right. You can learn more about our movement at www.FoodDignityMovement.org or reach me at Clancy@ClancyHarrison.com. You can also watch our 30-minute short film documentary at this link:”