So, anyone want to rant about organic formula? Formula and agriculture?

[nancg]

I'm teaching an ag class, and one of my students did an essay on an article in the newspaper about Horizon's new organic formula. They do at least admit it isn't as good as breastmilk, but still - it's formula.

One thing I thought was *very* enlightening is that the inspiration for this product was that during cheesemaking they have a lot of "waste" organic whey, which is a primary ingredient in infant formula. It had never occurred to me that the whole raison d'etre for formula is to make a sellable product out of cheese waste. Then the government, which subsidizes dairy producers, cleverly started trying to tell us that formula was better for babies than breastmilk.

I know I should read "Milk, Money and Madness", but hadn't gotten around to it yet. I like to think I don't believe in conspiracy theories, but somehow with the current president I'm finding that conspiracy theories seem much more believable.

Nancy
mom to nurslings Emily(3) and Hazel (9 months)

[Viola]

Interesting. I did read Milk, Money and Madness, but with my holey brain, I need to read it again. I don't remember any mention of the connection between cheese waste and formula, so that is very good to know.

[Jane]

It's my understanding that whey was just landfilled as a by-product of cheese-making. Then it became impossible to do that because putting that much of any one substance into a landfill threw off the balance. It had to be mitigated and have special treatment and it became expensive to dispose of.
So now they have "designer whey" protein bars and it's in baby formula. Nice. Much cheaper than tossing it.

[lactationmom]

There is a great article about this on Breastfeeding.com, I forget the title but it's by Katie Granju (sp?) and it's very good.
I used it for a graduate school presentation and the other nurses were pretty shocked, to say the least. Also, there are several very cheap oils used, the kind we are supposed to avoid cooking with!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heather

[Viola]

Wow, that is why those whey protein bars are popular now? I wondered.

[Jane]

That and the new advances that are being made in the flavoring industry to cover the objectionable flavor of whey protein in large amounts.