Guest Blogs

Troy L. Ott, Ph.D., PAS
Associate Professor of Reproductive Biology
Department of Dairy and Animal Science
The Pennsylvania State University

Hold on to your wallets ladies and gentlemen. A number of large dairy processors are getting ready to pull the old “smoke-and-mirrors” trick that will result in you paying more for your milk while at the same time hurting the environment. “How could this be?” you say. Here’s the scam: retailers will sell “rbST-free” milk to you for a premium of about 40 cents to $2.20 per gallon. As discussed in Terry Etherton’s Blog, the milk is not different in composition from other milk, but you will have a vague feeling that it is somehow better. Never mind that rbST has been determined by the FDA to be a safe and effective way to increase milk production by 10-15%. Never mind that it has been shown to be an effective tool to increase the efficiency of dairying. Never mind that it has been approved for use for over 10 years without any documented problems. NONE!

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Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D.

Distinguished Professor Nutrition

Department of Nutritional Sciences

The Pennsylvania State University

As a member of the USDA/HHS Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2005, I was a strong proponent of the recommendation to increase milk/dairy product consumption from 2 to 3 servings per day. This recommendation was made on the basis of the contribution that milk and dairy products make to achieving nutrient adequacy. In addition, the Committee recognized the many health benefits of milk/dairy consumption within the context of a healthy diet. The fact that this recommendation was adopted in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 illustrates the strong support of the scientific community for the evidence base that was the foundation for this recommendation. Based on current milk consumption practices, most Americans must increase milk intake between 60 and 100%. Read the rest of this entry »

NOAAH: Low-Income Consumers Needlessly Paying More for Identical Milk Read the rest of this entry »

Agriculture Advocate Trent Loos talks about the importance of young people getting involved in agriculture.

Listen to this PodCast

By Lori Connelly
PennAg Industries Association

I keep a Tom Fishbourne cartoon posted at my desk. It depicts two grocery shoppers, one male, one female. The mail shopper exclaims “Alright! Organic Twinkies at twice the price!” The woman in the cartoon replies, “It must be twice as healthy.” Despite the humorous intention, this comic illustrates a frightening mindset that is much too prevalent in grocery stores around the country.

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