Post by triskelionfarm on Aug 23, 2008 8:55:58 GMT -5
I thought everyone would be interested in this exchange about SB 201, proposed raw milk legislation in CA. The first message is the response, the second is the original article from Business Wire. Both are crossposted from a Homesteading group I am on. It will be interesting to see what happens with this bill.
Jorg
Hello to all,
Here is an email I have just received from Mark McAfee, president of Organic Pastures Dairy in Fresno California . I asked him this morning if he would provide some insight on the obviously twisted post from "Food Safety Advocate" Bill Marlar. Here is his prompt response.
Edwin
SB 201 is good science and good policy
Although Bill Marler's thoughts and quotes may be well intentioned, but they are biased and highly inaccurate. Children are not on life support from any state inspected raw milk dairy operations.
Contrary to Bill Marlers statements, SB 201 is designed to dramatically enhance food safety. It is designed as a food safety bill and includes many critical elements that do not currently exist in today's regulations either in California or nationally. In the future, SB 201 will most probably become the standard by which all raw milk is safely produced nationally.
The bias against and the authors distain for the internationally recognized scientists, raw milk and dairy experts at UC Davis and other institutions that helped to develop SB 201 is obvious. In fact if SB 201 standards are not immediately adopted in CA and across the nation more illness may occur because of unregulated and untested "under the radar raw dairy operations".
When a prohibition is set upon a food and people seek that food outside of inspected regulations, problems can occur. SB 201 addresses many of these concerns by placing nationally and internationally recognized food safety management systems into place ( HACCP systems and Farm Safety Plans ). These plans and systems include all current testing plus additional intensive pathogen testing that is not currently required.
Bill Marler is an ambulance chaser , a self appointed food safety alarmist. He makes money, tons of money on sick kids. In the past he has become rich on the likes of Odwalla, Jack in the Box, Spinach growers and beef recalls. Why should Bill Marler want these recalls and food illnesses to stop? If they stop he will no longer have a job or an income. He is "an industry all unto himself" with no regard for changing the very origins of the challenges that make him rich.
SB 201 is the most advanced food safety bill ever developed for dairy operations. It focuses on bad bacteria and tests intensively for them. Current regulations do not address bad bacteria but rather limits good bacteria that actually act to inhibit and kill bad bacteria. Current California law is bad science and can miss pathogenic bacteria because they are not tested for intensively and can still be present. SB 201 does not permit the sharing or bottling of raw milk between two or more dairies when that milk is intended for raw milk consumption and not pasteurization. SB 201 requires documentation of by weekly testing of both good and bad bacteria and this data must be reported to state regulators. Current testing happens one time per month.
SB 201 is good science and good policy. Bill Marler is Bill Marler.
The consumers of raw milk and the producers of raw milk all encourage the passage of SB 201 to advance food safety and food freedom. All Assembly committees that have voted on SB 201 voted unanimously for its passage. SB 201 was vetted by hours and hours of food safety expert testimony in CA State Senate hearings.
With SB 201 food safety is number one.
Raw milk is growing and rapidly developing market. People rely upon raw milk to treat a variety of chronic diseases including asthma, allergies and raw milk is not associated with lactose intolerance. Active enzymes, good beneficial bacteria and raw fats found only raw milk are critical to its immune rebuilding and healing qualities. Pasteurized milk can not be used as a substitute.
Safe raw milk is critical for its consumers and SB 201 provides this level of assurance.
Mark McAfee
Founder OPDC
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 8:16 AM
Subject: [Odairy] 'Governor Schwarzenegger, Veto This Bill!' Pleads Food Safety Advocate William Marler
Last update: 5:11 p.m. EDT Aug. 21, 2008
SACRAMENTO , Calif. , Aug 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- An ambitious and
well-meaning attempt to make California 's dairy products safer arrives this
week in the California Assembly in the form of State Bill 201--but the
country's top food safety advocates are calling on California legislators to
vote against it. The bill places regulations on producers of raw milk dairy
products and lays groundwork intended to stem the tide of deadly food borne
illnesses tied to the raw milk industry. It sounds good, and may have enough
support to reach the Governor's desk, where the same advocates encourage a
veto. What's the problem?
"It's difficult to work so hard against a bill that has such good
intentions," said William Marler, food safety advocate and attorney. "But SB
201 actually creates a detour around the regulation of raw milk, and must be
re-written before the bill is ready. There are children on life support
because of raw milk tainted with E. coli and other toxic bacteria, and there
will be more of them in California -- and nationwide-- unless changes are made
to this legislation. "
Rather than detailing the levels of fecal contaminates acceptable in a
regulated raw milk product, the bill proposes that raw milk be regulated by
a HACCP protocol. HACCP--Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point--is a food
safety and self-inspection system that describes procedures for producing
potentially dangerous foods. There are national HACCP protocols in place for
juice, meat, poultry, and seafood processing, but none for raw milk.
Developing a HACCP protocol can take years, and if SB 201 is signed as
written, California raw milk will enter a black hole of regulation.
Companies will be free to produce raw milk essentially unregulated until a
HACCP plan is ready.
"Raw milk--given that it is outside the pasteurization process--has inherent
risks," continued Marler. "Illnesses from raw milk and raw colostrum--E.
coli, Campylobacter, and listeria--are on the rise, and we've seen
first-hand a growing number of consumers whose lives will never be the same
because of this product:
-- Dee Creek Farm - E. Coli O157:H7 - 11 ill, 4 with Hemolytic Uremic
Syndrome, or HUS
-- Grace Harbor Farms - E. Coli O157:H7 - 2 children ill, one with HUS
-- Organic Pastures - E. Coli O157:H7 - 6 ill, 2 children with HUS
-- Herb Depot - E. Coli O157:H7 - Two children ill
-- Town Farm Dairy - E. Coli O157:H7 - 5 ill, 2 with HUS
-- Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farms - Campylobacter - 15 illnesses, one on a
ventilator."
Raw milk is at the center of a nationwide controversy over its potential
value as a nutritional food versus the severe illnesses that can result from
contaminated product. Pasteurization was developed to rid dairy products of
pathogens like toxic E. coli as well as to assure a longer, safer shelf
life. Proponents of raw milk believe that pasteurization also eliminates
healthful benefits of the dairy product. (Peer-reviewed literature on the
raw milk controversy can be found by clicking here for pro and here for
con.)
"It's the large producers of raw milk products that SB 201 aims to
regulate," said Marler. "Because of the HACCP loophole, a huge amount of
contaminated product could reach the public. This bill is intended to stop
them, but instead will give them a free ride for years to come. California
Legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger, please send SB 201 back!"
BACKGROUND: An accomplished personal injury lawyer and national expert in
foodborne illness litigation, William Marler and his partners at Marler
Clark have represented thousands of individuals in claims against food
companies whose contaminated products have caused serious injury and death.
His advocacy for better food regulation has led to invitations to address
local, national, and international gatherings on food safety, including
recent testimony to US Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce. Contact
Mary Siceloff at msiceloff@marlercla rk.com or 206-719-4705. For further
information visit www.marlerclark. com and www.marlerblog. com.
Ed Maltby
Jorg
Hello to all,
Here is an email I have just received from Mark McAfee, president of Organic Pastures Dairy in Fresno California . I asked him this morning if he would provide some insight on the obviously twisted post from "Food Safety Advocate" Bill Marlar. Here is his prompt response.
Edwin
SB 201 is good science and good policy
Although Bill Marler's thoughts and quotes may be well intentioned, but they are biased and highly inaccurate. Children are not on life support from any state inspected raw milk dairy operations.
Contrary to Bill Marlers statements, SB 201 is designed to dramatically enhance food safety. It is designed as a food safety bill and includes many critical elements that do not currently exist in today's regulations either in California or nationally. In the future, SB 201 will most probably become the standard by which all raw milk is safely produced nationally.
The bias against and the authors distain for the internationally recognized scientists, raw milk and dairy experts at UC Davis and other institutions that helped to develop SB 201 is obvious. In fact if SB 201 standards are not immediately adopted in CA and across the nation more illness may occur because of unregulated and untested "under the radar raw dairy operations".
When a prohibition is set upon a food and people seek that food outside of inspected regulations, problems can occur. SB 201 addresses many of these concerns by placing nationally and internationally recognized food safety management systems into place ( HACCP systems and Farm Safety Plans ). These plans and systems include all current testing plus additional intensive pathogen testing that is not currently required.
Bill Marler is an ambulance chaser , a self appointed food safety alarmist. He makes money, tons of money on sick kids. In the past he has become rich on the likes of Odwalla, Jack in the Box, Spinach growers and beef recalls. Why should Bill Marler want these recalls and food illnesses to stop? If they stop he will no longer have a job or an income. He is "an industry all unto himself" with no regard for changing the very origins of the challenges that make him rich.
SB 201 is the most advanced food safety bill ever developed for dairy operations. It focuses on bad bacteria and tests intensively for them. Current regulations do not address bad bacteria but rather limits good bacteria that actually act to inhibit and kill bad bacteria. Current California law is bad science and can miss pathogenic bacteria because they are not tested for intensively and can still be present. SB 201 does not permit the sharing or bottling of raw milk between two or more dairies when that milk is intended for raw milk consumption and not pasteurization. SB 201 requires documentation of by weekly testing of both good and bad bacteria and this data must be reported to state regulators. Current testing happens one time per month.
SB 201 is good science and good policy. Bill Marler is Bill Marler.
The consumers of raw milk and the producers of raw milk all encourage the passage of SB 201 to advance food safety and food freedom. All Assembly committees that have voted on SB 201 voted unanimously for its passage. SB 201 was vetted by hours and hours of food safety expert testimony in CA State Senate hearings.
With SB 201 food safety is number one.
Raw milk is growing and rapidly developing market. People rely upon raw milk to treat a variety of chronic diseases including asthma, allergies and raw milk is not associated with lactose intolerance. Active enzymes, good beneficial bacteria and raw fats found only raw milk are critical to its immune rebuilding and healing qualities. Pasteurized milk can not be used as a substitute.
Safe raw milk is critical for its consumers and SB 201 provides this level of assurance.
Mark McAfee
Founder OPDC
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 8:16 AM
Subject: [Odairy] 'Governor Schwarzenegger, Veto This Bill!' Pleads Food Safety Advocate William Marler
Last update: 5:11 p.m. EDT Aug. 21, 2008
SACRAMENTO , Calif. , Aug 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- An ambitious and
well-meaning attempt to make California 's dairy products safer arrives this
week in the California Assembly in the form of State Bill 201--but the
country's top food safety advocates are calling on California legislators to
vote against it. The bill places regulations on producers of raw milk dairy
products and lays groundwork intended to stem the tide of deadly food borne
illnesses tied to the raw milk industry. It sounds good, and may have enough
support to reach the Governor's desk, where the same advocates encourage a
veto. What's the problem?
"It's difficult to work so hard against a bill that has such good
intentions," said William Marler, food safety advocate and attorney. "But SB
201 actually creates a detour around the regulation of raw milk, and must be
re-written before the bill is ready. There are children on life support
because of raw milk tainted with E. coli and other toxic bacteria, and there
will be more of them in California -- and nationwide-- unless changes are made
to this legislation. "
Rather than detailing the levels of fecal contaminates acceptable in a
regulated raw milk product, the bill proposes that raw milk be regulated by
a HACCP protocol. HACCP--Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point--is a food
safety and self-inspection system that describes procedures for producing
potentially dangerous foods. There are national HACCP protocols in place for
juice, meat, poultry, and seafood processing, but none for raw milk.
Developing a HACCP protocol can take years, and if SB 201 is signed as
written, California raw milk will enter a black hole of regulation.
Companies will be free to produce raw milk essentially unregulated until a
HACCP plan is ready.
"Raw milk--given that it is outside the pasteurization process--has inherent
risks," continued Marler. "Illnesses from raw milk and raw colostrum--E.
coli, Campylobacter, and listeria--are on the rise, and we've seen
first-hand a growing number of consumers whose lives will never be the same
because of this product:
-- Dee Creek Farm - E. Coli O157:H7 - 11 ill, 4 with Hemolytic Uremic
Syndrome, or HUS
-- Grace Harbor Farms - E. Coli O157:H7 - 2 children ill, one with HUS
-- Organic Pastures - E. Coli O157:H7 - 6 ill, 2 children with HUS
-- Herb Depot - E. Coli O157:H7 - Two children ill
-- Town Farm Dairy - E. Coli O157:H7 - 5 ill, 2 with HUS
-- Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farms - Campylobacter - 15 illnesses, one on a
ventilator."
Raw milk is at the center of a nationwide controversy over its potential
value as a nutritional food versus the severe illnesses that can result from
contaminated product. Pasteurization was developed to rid dairy products of
pathogens like toxic E. coli as well as to assure a longer, safer shelf
life. Proponents of raw milk believe that pasteurization also eliminates
healthful benefits of the dairy product. (Peer-reviewed literature on the
raw milk controversy can be found by clicking here for pro and here for
con.)
"It's the large producers of raw milk products that SB 201 aims to
regulate," said Marler. "Because of the HACCP loophole, a huge amount of
contaminated product could reach the public. This bill is intended to stop
them, but instead will give them a free ride for years to come. California
Legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger, please send SB 201 back!"
BACKGROUND: An accomplished personal injury lawyer and national expert in
foodborne illness litigation, William Marler and his partners at Marler
Clark have represented thousands of individuals in claims against food
companies whose contaminated products have caused serious injury and death.
His advocacy for better food regulation has led to invitations to address
local, national, and international gatherings on food safety, including
recent testimony to US Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce. Contact
Mary Siceloff at msiceloff@marlercla rk.com or 206-719-4705. For further
information visit www.marlerclark. com and www.marlerblog. com.
Ed Maltby