Are you ready to learn the deep, dark secret behind organic milk?  Why does it last so long?  What exactly is it that makes it organic, anyways?  Here's the lowdown...

Well, first off organic milk is not the same as raw milk.  Raw milk is plain, unpasteurized milk that is illegal in many parts of the world.  Organic milk is pasteurized just like regular milk.  In fact, much of it is ultrapasteurized to give it an extremely long shelf life.

The "organic" in organic milk comes from the long supply chain that leads to that cold carton in your grocery store freezer.  To be certified organic, there are a bunch of restrictions on production that have to be met by farmers along the way.  Dairy cows need organic food to eat, and there are a bunch of regulations on just what consistitutes an "organic cow" depending on what part of the world you live in.  Certified organic dairy cows generally get most or all of their food from organic sources and have very limited exposure to antibiotics and other drugs.  Organic cows make organic milk and aside from that it's no different and conventional milk... or is it?

Here is a story from the Telegraph this year claiming that organic milk is significantly better for you, and here is one from two years ago from MSNBC that says the health benefits are minimal and not worth the added cost.  If you read that Telegraph article you'll see that the organic milk from their study has a significantly improved fatty acid profile which looks suspiciously like the difference between grass-fed beef versus feedlot beef... and wild salmon versus farmed salmon.  With differences that significant there can be little doubt that organic milk is an entirely different food product than conventional milk.

So organic milk is super-healthy, but there is a price difference.  Despite the fact that it's available at Wal-Mart, for the most part organic milk is still a specialty product and comes with a higher price tag.  As consumers, especially in this economy, that's a decision we all have to make: is the price worth it?

Do some research online and check the labels next time you're at the grocery store.  Look at the nutritional information of the organic milk available in your area, compare it to the regular milk and then compare the price.  What do you think?  Hit the comments link and post your take.

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