Organic milk has a better nutrient profile and fewer contaminants than conventional milk, but loopholes are allowing fraudulent “organic” milk on the market. Action Alert!

The fall meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) included a discussion of the Origin of Livestock rule, which has been in limbo since 2015. The rule attempts to prevent large, industrial dairy and cattle operations from gaming the system and fooling consumers into buying faux organic products. Fraudulent organic products undermine regenerative health for humans and the environment. We must urge the USDA to stop stalling and implement the rule, ideally with some changes to strengthen it.

First, organic milk has been shown to be superior to conventional milk in a variety of ways. Organic milk was not shown to contain any pesticides or antibiotics, while these contaminants were prevalent in conventional milk. Organic milk also has a better nutrition profile: a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that organic milk had higher concentrations of iron, vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids. Another study showed that organic milk contains 25 percent less omega-6 fatty acids and 62 percent more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk. Americans today eat far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3’s, and this distorted ratio is considered one of the more damaging aspects of the American diet. The point is, the difference between organic and conventional milk is important, but faux organic products are allowed on the market due to loopholes in organic rules that must be closed.