Why it's nearly impossible to avoid maltodextrin in fermented dairy. LEARN MORE HERE.

We’re NOT Miller’s Organic Farm… but we sure can commiserate.

written by

Marie Reedell

posted on

July 29, 2022

Have you seen the recent viral video from OFF GRID with DOUG & STACY? If not, here it is:

First, let’s get one thing straight - we are NOT Miller’s Organic Farm.

It’s a common misconception since we have a good amount in common. Same last name, same Amish community, and very similar farming practices. We both offer natural nutrient-dense foods like A2/A2 dairy, 100% grass-fed beef, corn & soy free eggs, fermented veggies, einkorn baked goods, and so on.

But, we are two completely separate operations. Amos Miller is the owner of Miller’s Organic Farm. Aaron Miller is the owner of Miller’s Bio Farm. Different locations, different vendors, different delivery options, etc.

A big difference between us is that Miller’s Organic Farm is a private membership association. That means you need to pay to become a member and place an order. Miller’s Bio Farm is open to the public, no membership required.

Amos Miller wants to produce food the way God intended - working with nature and allowing people access to foods that nourish their body. Aaron Miller wants the same thing, too. In a big way, it comes down to religious freedom.

You’ve surely heard the term “your body is your temple”. That comes from the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

This idea isn’t exclusive to Christianity and is found in other religious texts (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc) with specific emphasis in three areas: dietary cleanliness, exercise, and ablutions. Each religion has differing guidelines, but they are all founded in the same guiding principle.

Especially in the United States, which was founded on religious freedom, shouldn’t we have the right to hold personal beliefs, whether organized or not, separate from the government? If that’s the case, we should have the right to be informed and choose what we put into our body. 

Sadly, this is not our reality. 

Government regulations definitely control how our food is produced and who has access on a nitty gritty level. The awful situation Miller’s Organic Farm is in now is one example.

Miller’s Organic Farm is in trouble because his meat wasn’t being slaughtered and butchered at a USDA certified facility, which is illegal. Yet to my knowledge, no one has ever become sick from his meat. 

If meat processed in a non-USDA facility is truly dangerous and Amos Miller serves thousands of customers, then surely someone would have gotten sick, right? It makes me wonder if the government’s rules and reaction are fair and appropriate.

Miller’s Bio Farm has sadly had issues (some legal and some not) with government regulations, too. 

--> Let’s take our milk bottling.

Our farm used to bottle milk by hand. However, when the farm got certified for raw milk production, it was required to purchase a milk bottling machine and build a milk bottling room. This cost the farm at least $20,000.

The reasoning behind this is, of course, safety. Government agencies prefer robots over human hands, and I guess that’s because robots theoretically don’t carry potentially harmful microorganisms. But robots do carry potentially harmful chemicals. So, in my mind, it’s a moot point.

--> Or how about our yogurt packaging?

We can only offer our pasteurized yogurts in plastic, because in order to put them in glass the creamery would need to purchase an expensive attachment so a robot can screw on the lids. 

--> Why can’t we use the word “organic” to describe our food?

Well, that’s because we’re not certified by the government. This definitely puts the farm at a marketing disadvantage. It would be so much easier to say “it’s organic”. Instead, we provide tons of info explaining exactly how we do what we do.

--> We didn't want to use citric and lactic acid to wash meat.

Washing meat means that, before butchering, large carcasses are sprayed with an antiseptic spray and whole chickens are put in an antiseptic ice bath. 

Our previous USDA processors were only approved to wash meat with citric and lactic acids. Sure, the products they were using were "certified for organic", but we really wanted to avoid anything artificial and derived from corn and soy.

Luckily, a local farmer became an owner of a small local meat processor. They were able to get a new plan approved by the USDA that includes washing meat with organic apple cider vinegar. It was expensive and time consuming, and we are so thankful for their efforts. Huge shout out to The Family Cow!

--> Did you know we can't sell chicken heads anymore?

Yup, this month the USDA all of the sudden said that we can't. 

--> Or what about the RB51 situation our farm faced in 2019?

A farm customer got sick with the RB51 strain of brucellosis, which is a strain specific to the brucellosis vaccine. Four of our cows were unknowingly vaccinated, and one was still shedding the virus many years later. No cow had come up positive in our regular brucellosis tests.

Yes, the problem was caused by the brucellosis vaccine approved by the Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) and promoted by the USDA and the CDC. When this happened, did the government have the farm’s back? 

Well, they definitely helped us resolve it and get into compliance. But, the farm took a major financial loss that it still hasn’t fully recovered from. There was no government assistance for that financial loss.

You can learn more about the RB51 situation here.

--> Another example is the raw milk laws in general.

It’s ironic. If you live in Pennsylvania, you would be allowed to buy raw milk for humans. But, because of the system we live in, we are not allowed to deliver milk for humans across state lines.

This is an interesting article by David Gumpert, who explores a raw milk crackdown in NJ seemingly targeted towards Indian immigrants.

I could go on and on, but you get the point here.

The rules are made by and made for the BIG players in the food industry, not small independent farmers. 

The consequence is that people are not able to practice their religion to the fullest capacity. If you’d like a truly natural diet, you are forced to either produce your own food (which is unattainable for most Americans) or follow the “religion” of capitalism and the government.

Why can’t there be another way? Gee, I wish there were!

It’s important to note that the Miller’s Organic Farm issue didn’t just happen out of the blue. His farm wasn’t raided all of the sudden with no prior issues.

Amos Miller has had many light warnings that went ignored, and that’s how he ended up in court. That’s how he ended up being shut down. Right now, Miller’s Organic Farm is not allowed to process any more meat for sale.

Side note: All of the farms connected to Miller’s Organic Farm have also been flagged and many inspected. And farms connected to those farms (like ours) are also being flagged, too.

Our farm has had a lot of light warnings, but Aaron Miller chose to NOT ignore them. Aaron wants to be in compliance, because he sees a different way forward. 

Miller’s Bio Farm believes that it’s possible to work within the system to produce natural food. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.

It requires working really closely with government agencies and small processors to get more natural practices approved. It’s time consuming and expensive.

Then, in compliance, we have nothing to worry about and nothing to hide. From that standing, we can fight for what’s right. We can advocate for a better, most just, food future. Who knows, maybe we’ll end up in the Supreme Court one day.

What do you think of the government’s interference with our food? What do you see as the way forward?

I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - start typing to post as a guest) or contact us.

Opinion

Farming Practices

More from the blog

Miller's vs Angel Acres eggs. Let's compare PUFAs and the omega ratio.

***This blog post is a response to our amazing customers asking soooo many questions about this. When that happens, we know we need to dive in. We never want to put down another farmer, and we love Angel Acres. But, we also want to give you all the info you need to make informed food choices. AT A GLANCE Both Miller's and Angel Acres eggs are pastured raised, vaccine and antibiotic free, and are fed a chemical-free corn & soy free feed. Super natural (and not in the alien way)!Miller's does NOT add any colorants to the feed, so the yolk color will 100% depend on what the chickens are foraging for. Angel Acres adds a small amount of marigold to their feed. Marigold is a natural colorant that can affect the yolk color, especially in larger amounts.Miller's discloses every ingredient in the chicken feed. Angel Acres doesn't publicly disclose every ingredient, but it does tell you things is does NOT contain. I bet they'd tell you more if you ask.Angel Acres' eggs have less PUFAs in their eggs. But, it's not a precise comparison because of how each farm tested and presented their data. Ours have 1.8g per 100g of egg (yolk + white). Angel Acres has 0.8g of PUFAs per 4 eggs (testing the yolks alone). Miller's eggs have a better omega 6/3 ratio than Angel Acres. Ours have a 4:1 ratio. Theirs have a 6:1 ratio.Miller's eggs have 10% linoleic acid. Angel Acres has a better ratio of 6%. Both ratios are much better than any other eggs tested, which had 16-26% linoleic acid.Angel Acres has a 8.35 PUFA %. When it comes to PUFAs, that's better than Miller's. Ours eggs have 18.37. However, both are better than any other eggs tested, which had 23.6+.Miller's has a 1.93 saturated to PUFA ratio. Angel Acres has a 4.88. When it comes to low PUFAs, the higher the better. Both beat all other eggs tested, which were 1.3 or less. ----------- Last year, we did nutritional testing on our chicken eggs and discovered they're amazingly nutritious.  They had lower PUFAs, a better omega 6/3 ratio, and more vitamins compared to the 3 other eggs we tested. We tested against the cheapest most conventional eggs in the supermarket, the best national regenerative eggs you can buy in the store, and a local competitor selling pastured corn & soy free eggs. You can read more and see the egg test results here. Ever since we released the results in December 2024, we've gotten A LOT of questions about how our eggs stack up to Angel Acres, specifically when it comes to PUFAs. After all, Angel Acres is all about low PUFAs! It's kinda their #1 goal, and I'm so happy there's an egg farmer out there focusing specifically on this. Reducing PUFAs is a nutrition trend right now. It's along the lines of eating the way our ancestors did, with no seed oils.  Cheap seed oils have inundated the food world. Corn oil, soy oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, etc. It's everywhere and in everything and can have negative health results (sometimes serious) when over-consumed. It's just one more reason that Americans, on a whole, are so sick. You can read more about PUFAs here. Reducing PUFA intake is more than choosing ingredients. What animals eat affects the PUFA content of the food they produce. It's fairly easy to reduce your PUFA intake by reading food labels and swapping out ingredients in recipes. But... when it comes to an animal-based ingredient itself, what the animals eat and how they live affect the PUFA content in the eggs, meat, and dairy. Here's where it's important to choose your farmer. So... how do Miller's chicken eggs stack up to Angel Acres' eggs? Let's dive in. Miller's and Angel Acres have a lot of natural farming practices in common. We're both ensuring your food is truly natural. It's produced with respect for the land, has the best health outcomes for our animals, and has the least toxins. ✔ Pasture Raised ✔ Vaccine Free ✔ Antibiotic Free ✔ Chemical Free ✔ Corn & Soy Free Feed This is just awesome! Although natural farmers can be considered competitors with each other, I really don't view it that way. Natural farmers are all working towards a common goal. We're part of the same movement and support each other!  The purpose of this blog post is to answer a common question we've been getting so you can make the most informed food choices. You deserve that. Miller's does NOT add any colorants to the feed, so the yolk color will depend on what the chickens are foraging for. Angel Acres adds a little marigold to their feed, so the yolk color may be a little more orange. Yolk color was actually the reason why we did our egg testing in the first place. We really wanted to find out if our light colored yolks had equal nutrition to orange colored yolks. My hypothesis was that yolk color doesn't matter, and that was proven true! In other words, we wanted to show that orange yolks don't equal pasture raised and therefore more nutrient dense anymore. It was a happy surprise to get such stellar nutritional results, too! To elaborate just a little bit, colorants are added to basically all chicken feed in the US now. They can be synthetic (like artificial dyes) and they can also be natural (like marigold or paprika). Egg yolk color is aesthetic and superficial, not an indicator of egg quality (like it was decades ago). Sure, there's a viewpoint that marigold and paprika have health benefits for birds. It's kinda like a supplement, and I get that perspective. But, in my opinion, it's not 100% necessary for optimal health. Miller's chooses to NOT add any colorants to the feed. Why? That's so we can keep a very close eye on what the chickens are foraging for and the health of the flock. We love love having that egg yolk indicator. And that's why we called our eggs "honest yolk" eggs. Miller's discloses every ingredient in the chicken feed. Angel Acres doesn't disclose every ingredient, but it does tell you things is does NOT contain.  We believe you deserve to know everything about your food. Our chicken feed contains a blend of oats, rolled wheat, peas, alfalfa hay leaves, barley, fishmeal, sesame meal, raw liquid goat whey, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. You can read the nitty gritty feed details here. But not every farm feels the same way. Some like to keep their feed ingredients private. This is what Angel Acres is choosing to do. They publicly tell people the ingredients that are NOT in their feed... but not what's actually in it. They are so nice. I bet if you asked them they would give you more info. Angel Acres' eggs have less PUFAs in their eggs, but it's hard to say exactly how much because of how we each present our data.  Our test results were done by mixing the yolk and white together. Our results show how much of each thing is in there by weight (for example how many mg of __ per 100g of egg). We give you access to a spreadsheet with the raw data from our egg test results. This is so you can do your own analysis. Again, you deserve to know everything about your food. We know definitively that our eggs have 1.8g of PUFAs per 100g of egg. This includes the yolk plus white, not the shell. Angel Acres tested their egg yolks only. Since the yolk contains nearly all the fat, it should be sufficient when looking at PUFAs. This is why their results have an amount "per 4 eggs" stat. Angel Acres says their eggs have 0.8g of PUFAs per 4 eggs. So how do we compare? If we estimate that an egg is about 50g. That means that our eggs have 3.6g of PUFAs per 4 eggs, higher than the 0.8g in Angel Acres' eggs.  But again, because of the differences in testing, I'm not 100% sure if this is an accurate comparison. What I do know is that, among all the eggs we tested and all the eggs Angel Acres tested, both companies had lower PUFAs compared to any other eggs. Miller's eggs have a better omega 6/3 ratio than Angel Acres. Our eggs have a 4:1 omega 6/3 ratio. Angel Acres' eggs have a 6:1 ratio. For some context, the ideal ratio humans should be eating is a 1:1-4:1 ratio. So, Miller's eggs have a better PUFA balance compared to Angel Acres. Which is more important? The ratio or the total PUFAs? Only you can make that choice for yourself. Miller's eggs have 10% linoleic acid. Angel Acres has a slightly better ratio of 6%. This is the amount of linoleic acid divided by the total of all fatty acids. The lower the percent, the better. Both brands have much better percents compared to all the eggs tested, which ranged from 16-26%.  Angel Acres has a 8.35 total PUFA %. Miller's has a 18.37 total PUFA %. This is the total PUFAs divided by the total fat. When it comes to PUFA intake, the lower the ratio the better. All other eggs tested had 23.6+. Miller's has a 1.93 saturated to PUFA ratio. Angel Acres has a 4.88. This is the total saturated fat divided by the amount of PUFAs. If you're looking for the lowest PUFAs possible, the higher the number the better. Both companies had all other eggs tested, which were 1.3 or less. I think the bottom line is that your egg choice depends on your priorities. If eliminating as many PUFAs as possible is your #1 goal, then Angel Acres has us beat. They're the best low PUFA eggs I know of. That's their jam. But, if you're looking for balanced fat intake and max public transparency, Miller's is the way to go. What do you think? Are you on the low PUFA bandwagon? Why or why not? Are there any changes you'd like to see with Miller's eggs? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community, or contact us to keep it private 😊 ----- Sources: Low PUFA Corn and Soy Free EggsFinally, egg test results are in! Guess what? Yolk color does not matter.

Why it's nearly impossible to avoid maltodextrin in fermented dairy.

AT A GLANCE: Maltodextrin is a simple sugar used to jumpstart freeze dried cultures in fermented dairy.Maltodextrin is a lab-produced ingredient. Overconsumption can result in negative health outcomes.Trace amounts of maltodextrin are in (nearly) ALL dairy products (yogurt, kefir, cheese, etc), but you won't find it on a food label. Why? Maltodextrin (and other additives) only need to be disclosed if they're more than 1% of the final product. The difference with Miller's is that we tell you about the nitty gritty details like this one.There's, at most, 0.0025% maltodextrin in our fermented dairy. Can we round that to zero?Miller's dairy contains maltodextrin that's "certified for organic".The only way to create fermented dairy without maltodextrin is to use a wild culture. The drawbacks are you need to maintain those cultures, they are inconsistent, and might even stop working over time. ---------- If you dove deep on our website and clicked on a product to get all the nitty gritty details, you may have noticed the "Honest Disclosure" section. That's right. We believe you deserve to know everything about your food - the big, the small, the good... and even the bad. On most of our fermented dairy (cheese, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, etc), you may have noticed a message saying that the freeze dried culture contains a trace amount of maltodextrin 😱 And you may have thought, "What!? I thought they made the most natural food around!" You're right. We do aim to provide you with the most natural foods around, from the farming practices to how they're made in small batches. We want you to have max nutrition and the least toxins possible. And honestly, we're not thrilled to have even a trace of a trace amount of maltodextrin in our fermented dairy. But, sadly, there's simply no way to do that nowadays, especially considering the demand for specific flavors, consistent textures, and a reliable food source. Like seriously, when it comes to maltodextrin, the only difference between Miller's dairy and any other dairy (whether from a supermarket or a farm) is that we did the research and are actually telling you about it. We don't need to. It's not required. But... you deserve to know. So, what's going on with maltodextrin? There's so much more to this story! Keep reading to be a smart natural food shopper and get all the info. What is maltodextrin anyway? Maltodextrin is a sugar, a very simple sugar. Scientifically speaking, it's "short chains of glucose units", a type of "oligosaccharide". Maltodextrin is 100% a lab-produced ingredient. They take a starch (a complex carbohydrate that your body would digest into sugar) and break it down using enzymes or acids. The result is a simple sugar. Labs are basically cutting that long, complex chain that makes up a starch into shorter, simpler segments.  Maltodextrin can be made from a bunch of different kinds of starches - corn, wheat, rice, potato, cassava, etc. In the US, it's most commonly made with corn. Depending on what the maltodextrin is derived from and how it's made, it can have different properties and uses.  It's most commonly dried into a white powder but can also be found in syrup form. Maltodextrin is used in food as a stabilizer, thickener, anti-caking agent, and bulking agent. I mean, it's in soooo many processed foods. It can also be used in livestock feed or healthcare products as an easily digestible sugar source. Maltodextrin does NOT need to be certified organic in healthcare products (supplements, etc). But, it does need to be certified organic in livestock feed and foods that are certified organic.  What would make maltodextrin certified organic? It's how it's broken down. According to OMRI (the Organic Materials Review Institute that approves things for organic use), maltodextrin made with acid is NOT certified organic. Maltodextrin made with enzymes is certified organic. Apparently they believe the enzymatic way is considered "natural". Why would people want to avoid maltodextrin? The FDA classes maltodextrin as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) food additive. That being said, there are known risks to consuming maltodextrin, especially in larger amounts (which you can absolutely get from processed foods). Here are some potential negative health consequences of overconsumption of maltodextrin: High cholesterolWeight gainType 2 diabetesBlood sugar spikes (particularly in people with diabetes or insulin resistance)Imbalance of gut bacteriaAllergies or intolerances (to corn or wheat) with a range of side effectsExposure to GMOs (when derived from GMO corn) Keep in mind that any of the above side effects typically arise from consuming maltodextrin in large amounts. A trace amount usually won't negatively impact your health unless you have a severe allergy to it (or what it's derived from or made with). What is a freeze dried culture?  Freeze dried cultures are surprisingly old. They originated in the late 1800s as a way to preserve the best cheese and dairy cultures and share them over distances. But the technology didn't become really good and reliable until the mid 1900s. That's when they started becoming popular. The process to make them is fairly simple. Like, you can totally do it at home (maybe you've done it with sourdough starter...?). But... for best accuracy and use, freeze dried cultures are best for commercial use and are made in labs nowadays. Here's how it's done: 1- Strains of microorganisms are isolated and grown. The first cultures were made by letting raw milk grow wild. Then, each strain of bacteria, yeast, etc was isolated. This can be done with a particular solution or by putting fermented raw milk on a medium that only supports a specific kind of microorganisms. It's kinda like terrain theory here. Nowadays, labs generally aren't isolating their own cultures much. Instead, they're maintaining cultures separated a longtime ago.  It's kind of like culture makers are literal "micro farmers" growing microorganisms. But, instead of planting in the soil, they let each culture grow in pasteurized milk or a specific growing medium (like some kind of something scientific in a petri dish). And, it's 100% in a controlled lab environment. There might be one type of lactic acid bacteria multiplying in one tray and a certain kind of yeast in another.  2- Strains are freeze dried. Each isolated strain is usually freeze dried individually. A freeze dryer is a freezer... but with a vacuum that removes the air. Cool! You could freeze dry anything in a regular freezer, but it would take much much longer. The vacuum element of a freeze dryer makes it so any water turns right into vapor (or dries out) instead of turning to ice. 3- Strains are mixed together to make a specific culture "recipe". It's like a recipe. It might be 3 parts Bifidobacterium lactis, 2 parts Lactobacillus acidophilus, and 1 part Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The specific strains mixed together are what give each fermented dairy product it's unique texture and flavor.  Other ingredients might be added for specific reasons. Sugars (like maltodextrin or sucrose) help keep the culture in good condition and aid it in coming back to life when used. Enzymes (like lipase) might be added to give better flavor. Or colors (like annatto or synthetic dyes) might be added for a desired yellow or orange color. Why is maltodextrin added to freeze dried cultures? In cheese cultures, maltodextrin has a double purpose. It's an anti-caking agent, keeping the culture as a powder... not an unusable clump. It's also a simple sugar that gives the culture something super easy to digest as it comes back to life. Without maltodextrin, freeze dried culture issues would be quite common. They would stop working or have spotty success. How much maltodextrin ends up in the final product? Maltodextrin is used in small amounts in a freeze dried culture. Maybe with some cultures it's more, but with ours, it's less than 1%. Just a little bit is needed.  I'm not sure about this with other dairy makers. But, I can tell you how much culture is in Miller's dairy items. For our cheese, about 1/2 tsp of culture is used in 1lb of cheese. For our fresh fermented dairy like yogurt or kefir, about 1 teaspoon of culture is used per quart of milk.  There are 96 teaspoons in a pound of cheese and 192 teaspoons in a quart of milk. So, culture alone is 0.5% or less of the final product. And, if maltodextrin is less than 1% of the culture, we're talking less than 0.005% maltodextrin. On top of that, once the culture is added, it eats up that maltodextrin immediately. I mean, that's the whole point. It's a quick simple food to get those freeze dried cultures active again. Let's say that only half of the maltodextrin is eaten by the cultures. Then there would be less than 0.0025% maltodextrin in the final product. Can we round that to zero...? You see where I'm going. This is why we are ok with the level of maltodextrin in our cheese cultures. We absolutely wouldn't choose it as an ingredient. But, as it stands now, the only cultures available have maltodextrin. If you know of one that doesn't, please let me know!!! If I'm NOT shopping at Miller's, how can I find out if maltodextrin is in my food? Maltodextrin is only required on an ingredient list if it's more than 1% of the final product. If it's less than 1%, then it's not required on a food label, because it's considered a "trace amount". 1% and 0.0025% are very different trace amount levels but are treated the same when it comes to labeling. In fact, when shopping for cheese cultures, maltodextrin typically isn't listed as an ingredient. The only way to find out is to look at the Safety Data Sheet or to call the manufacturer and cross your fingers that they'll talk to you. I think that most farms or dairy makers that get this question would simply say, "Nope, there's no maltodextrin." But, that's not the way we roll at Miller's.  A few years ago, someone who had a severe allergy reached out about this. It led me down a rabbit hole, talking to the scientists behind our cultures. And now, I'm sharing what I learned with you. Is there a way to make fermented dairy without maltodextrin, like a wild (not freeze dried) culture? Sure, wild cultured dairy is 100% a thing. It's like the sourdough bread of the dairy world. But... as the name implies, the final product can be a bit "wild". This is how we make our bursting kefirs. They're made with real kefir grains (a wild culture) that's been passed down in our community for generations. As this name implies, it can be explosive and super bubbly. It can be quite strong in flavor (not everyone's cup of tea). And it varies a lot from week to week. If we made cheese with culture we saved, it wouldn't turn out the same every time. We wouldn't be able to have a reliable cheddar and gouda and mozzarella... we'd just have one cheese that turns out a little different every time. If we made yogurt with culture we saved, it's a little more reliable. But, it still wouldn't give you the expected texture and flavor of the yogurt you're expecting. And, there would likely be weeks it simply didn't turn out right. Which Miller's dairy products contain trace amounts of maltodextrin and which don't? NO CULTURE = NO MALTODEXTRIN MilkCreamHalf & HalfIce CreamButter ColostrumGhee WILD CULTURE = NO MALTODEXTRIN Bursting Kefir FREEZE DRIED CULTURE = TRACE MALTODEXTRIN CheeseYogurtMild KefirCottage CheeseSour Cream What do you think? Are you ok with minuscule amounts of maltodextrin in fermented dairy? Why or why not? What trace ingredients are you most concerned about? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community (no account required), or contact us to keep it private 😊 ----- Sources MaltodextrinWhat is maltodextrin and is it safe?Cheese Making Cultures FAQ Cultured Milk Starters

Does the A2 thing or raw milk thing matter more? It depends.

What's up with soooo many people not being able to tolerate dairy these days? Could it be how conventional milk is being altered? Sure, switching to conventional "certified organic" milk that you can find in nearly any supermarket might help. You're eliminating some of the modern milk alterations. With organic, you're getting rid of the antibiotics. Antibiotics are routinely given to conventional cows to help keep them disease-free, even when in unsanitary or unnatural living environments (like indoors on concrete all the time). With organic, you're getting rid of hormones, which are given to conventional cows to make them produce more milk. More milk + the same amount of feed = more profit.With organic, you're removing some weird, unnatural stuff in the feed. This includes GMO fragments that might make their way into the milk as well as the awful chemicals like glyphosate used to grow GMO crops. But, keep in mind that "organic" does NOT mean chemical free. It simply means that any chemicals used are "approved for organic". Switching to organic is a great step in the right direction. But... what if you already did that and are still experiencing dairy issues? There are so many symptoms of dairy allergies or intolerances. They range from bloating to tummy troubles to nausea to brain fog. In this scenario, it's most likely one of two things, the lactose or the casein protein. There's a different solution for each: Lactose Intolerance → Can be solved with raw or cultured dairy Some people are "born to dance", some are "born to lead", and some are "born to rock"... but all humans are born to drink milk! I mean, breast milk is our first food after all! Babies are naturally designed to digest lactose (milk sugar). That means that, as a baby, you naturally produce tons and tons of lactase, the enzyme required to digest lactose, in your gut. But, over time, a human naturally produces less and less lactase. This is especially true if a human stops eating dairy or foods with the living microbiology present in raw dairy like lactic acid bacteria. After all, why would your body continue producing something if it's useless? Here's the good news. It can be reversed! You may be able to produce lactase again, you may be able to drink milk again, and may be able to eat cheese again. At least, this is true for many, many people. The living dairy microbiology in raw and fermented dairy (even yogurt or kefir made from pasteurized milk as long as it has live cultures in it) can jumpstart your body into producing more and more lactase. Pretty neat! A1 Protein Intolerance → Can be solved with A2/A2 dairy The A1 beta-casein protein is relatively new. A few thousand years ago, humans made cows in Europe pretty stressed. They moved them indoors in cities and started feeding them grain (the byproduct of making whisky and other stuff). And what do organisms tend to do under stress? Mutate! Unlike any other mammal, those European cows had a genetic mutation that makes them produce a new type of protein - the A1 beta-casein protein. Those cows made their way to the US. And now, basically all American milk has a mix of A1 and A2 beta casein proteins. Some people, especially those from eastern countries like India (where cows didn't mutate) or who drink pasteurized or boiled milk, might have an issue with A1 but can handle the A2 beta-casein protein just fine. Switching to A2/A2 milk is all they need to handle dairy again. It's important to note that the only way to know what kind of milk a cow produces is via a genetic test. We test all of our cows, and that's how we're sure our milk contains 100% A2 beta-casein protein. It's A2/A2! Do you have issues with dairy? Did raw or A2/A2 help? What solved your problem, or are you still looking for a solution?  I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community (no account required), or keep it private and contact us 😊