Advocates calling for the decriminalization of raw milk will be in Burnaby, speaking on the benefits of the banned substance.
Local resident Elias Ishak has invited the founders of Home on the Range dairy to speak in Burnaby about raw milk, something that’s illegal to sell in B.C.
“We see decriminalizing raw milk in the near future,” said Gordon Watson, a former Burnaby resident.
In 2007, Watson and Alice Jongerden started Home on the Range, a cow-sharing dairy that’s since been shut down. Watson is speaking on Saturday, Aug. 6 event at the Burnaby Neighbourhood House community hall at 5024 Rumble St. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the speeches start at 3 p.m.
Unpasteurized or raw milk is consumed straight from the cow, goat or sheep; there's no process used to destroy bacteria like E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter - bacteria that can make someone sick. It’s illegal to sell or give away raw milk unless you own the cow, so cow-sharing programs allow consumers to buy a “share” in the cow so they can receive their raw milk.
Proponents of raw milk say it has beneficial enzymes that are destroyed in the pasteurization process. According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, there is "no credible or scientific evidence that raw milk produces any measurable health benefits over pasteurized dairy products."
However, the ban has not stopped people who are determined to get their hands on raw milk.
Watson said there are consumers in Burnaby, and there is a lot of demand from parents.
“These moms want high quality food for their kids, and they will not be stopped. That’s the driving factor,” he said.
Watson also claimed health authority staffers are members of various cow-sharing operations.
“We have people who get raw milk and work for the government inside the machine, and I think that’s a scream,” he said.
B.C. Centre for Disease Control data shows there were eight illnesses where raw milk was the cause, or suspected cause, in Canada between 2000 and 2012.
Fraser Health's Tasleem Juma said the health authority's eastern region, which includes Burnaby data, has had five cases last year of people who became ill, potentially from raw milk. So far, there have been five cases possibly linked to raw milk this year, too. She couldn't say where, exactly, those cases were or whether raw milk was the definitive cause.
"The public health act defines raw milk as a health hazard," she said, "and therefore it's considered a violation of the act to supply, sell or distribute raw milk."
"The risk from consuming raw milk is high and can cause serious illness in people, especially young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems," Juma added.
In response, Jongerden blamed the underground market and called for more transparency.
"I would say that's what happens when you have an underground market. If there were proper procedures and training in place and accountability, they would know where these cases come from and not blame raw milk for every little sickness that comes their way," Jongerden said. "It's not fair to the consumer, it's not fair to the farmer, and it's not fair to the public health system."
UPDATE: Jongerden was originally on the speakers' list for this event, but she can no longer make it.
