Got milk?

Think you are doing the right thing by drinking skim or low-fat milk?  How about organic milk?  Read  the newest article in the author’s series on Chronic Illness Industries.  If you are anything like me, you’ll be wondering where you can go and buy raw milk.  I can’t wait until I get my dairy goat going.  Unfortunately, that won’t be until early next year unless I bite the bullet and pay for a goat already milking.  I’m really not prepared for that yet though.  I need to do more research on milking in a sanitary manner.

I hate most television commercials.  These really take the cake:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbRxTOyGf0&w=425&h=344]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVsgXPt564Q&w=425&h=344]

These commercials are paid for by the Corn Refiners Association.

Apparently:

The American Medical Association (AMA) recently concluded that “high fructose corn syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.” 

Research confirms that high fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey. All three sweeteners are nutritionally the same. 

High fructose corn syrup has the same number of calories as table sugar and is equal in sweetness. It contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted high fructose corn syrup “Generally Recognized as Safe” status for use in food, and reaffirmed that ruling in 1996 after thorough review. 

High fructose corn syrup offers numerous benefits. It keeps food fresh, enhances fruit and spice flavors, retains moisture in bran cereals, helps keep breakfast and energy bars moist, maintains consistent flavors in beverages and keeps ingredients evenly dispersed in condiments.

You got to love the earthy, organic appeal to the web site for the Corn Refiners Association.  Clever, clever marketing.

Hmmmm, the process for making the sweetener high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) out of corn was developed in the 1970s. Use of HFCS grew rapidly, from less than three million short tons in 1980 to almost 8 million short tons in 1995. During the late 1990s, use of sugar actually declined as it was eclipsed by HFCS. Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar.  Read more about the production of HFCS here.

Further read about the environmental impact of HFCS production.

You just can’t eat safe anymore.  Look at the ingredient label for products such as salad dressings, ketchup and even dog food, many contain HFCS.

Note to self, figure out how to make homemade ketchup and make more of my own salad dressing.

What does this have to do with dogs?  Do you think HFCS is an ingredient contained only in human food?  Corn syrup is often used as a sweetener by the pet food industry. It is also known as an effective “humectants and plasticizer”, which is an ingredient that gives the product dampness and flexibility as found in the soft and chewy type foods.