We routinely purchase milk that is pasteurized, but not homogenized. We recently noticed the presence of Horizon brand, ultra-pasteurized, "organic" milk, during a visit to our local Walmart store. There was no mention of homogenization on the labels, which I had always assumed was a requirement. To the contrary, there are actually no mandatory labeling requirements concerning homogenization.
It was nothing more than intuition which led me to call Horizon's headquarters, at which point they confirmed that all of their milk is homogenized, despite the deceptive labeling. Some milk companies use the terms "cream line" and "cream top" to emphasize their healthier products. Shamefully, all of the milk products distributed under the umbrella of Horizon "organic" are just mislabeled heart disease delivery systems.
In the long term, you would be healthier as a smoker than anyone who drinks this stuff several times a day. If you must choose between Horizon's "organic" milk and smoking, then definitely choose smoking. We detailed the toxicity factors of homogenized milk in our heart disease article, and we recommend that you continue reading about the specifics there. It is incredible that Horizon can so shamelessly get away with using the term "organic", after destroying the milk's chemical make-up, so that it becomes excessively harmful with long-term use.
Horizon remains the leading seller of "organic" milk products, and has been under fire for years for its less-than-organic practices. Many in the health movement have been involved in a long-term boycott against this company. Horizon sold out to Dean Foods Co. in 2003. Dean Foods Co. is the largest milk producer (ie. factory farming) in the United States, and they bought Horizon for profit, rather than any interest in adhering to pesky organic principles. Horizon has now earned itself a reputation for following organic regulations as loosely as is legally possible.
"At a Horizon dairy farm in central Idaho, the cows don't look that happy. Four thousand cows live in a stark landscape of sagebrush fields, long silver barns and open-air sheds. Jammed in crowded pens atop the hardpan of the Idaho desert, the cows are fed a diet of alfalfa, hay, grains and soy, all certified organic. Only occasionally do they eat fresh grass."
— Rebecca Clarren, High Country News
Grain and soy for cows? Most people assume that when purchasing organic (or "organic") that they are supporting companies who give animals more humane treatment than conventional farms do. While this may be true for the majority of organic companies, Horizon has become a glaring exception. Take for example: legislation forces most organic companies to provide their cows with access to pastures, but there are specific exceptions for dairy farms that Horizon takes full advantage of. In addition to their frequent use of feedlots, their use of soy-based foods causes similar health effects as the Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone that is banned in organic products. Soy's natural hormonal toxicity ensures that Horizon's cows will produce more milk than their bodies were designed to. Notice how they beat the system by tampering with the cow's hormones naturally? Not only is this soy trickery cruel to the animals, but you can bet your sweet heart disease that the milk produced is even more sub-standard because of it.
In the unusual case with milk, it may actually be just as healthy to purchase it from one of the major brands who have pledged not to use growth hormones or antibiotics. PET dairy and Walmart have been antibiotic and growth hormone free for years now. Horizon is charging inflated prices, and offering customers nothing except a deadly deception in return.
"One of my frustrations was putting cows out for tours to make it seem like we were really grazing."
— Jacob Tice, former grazing manager at Horizon
We strongly recommend that our readers use unhomogenized milk for the sake of their health. Please support companies who take a stance to do the right thing, and adhere to real organic principles. Help others by spreading this message about Horizon, and join the growing boycott. Let the people at your retailer know that the behavior of this organization cannot be tolerated. This boycott issue goes beyond saving yourself, for you vote for a company's behavior every time you purchase its products.
As things stand, Horizon's "organic" milk is helping our opponents prove that organic foods are no more healthy than conventional and genetically engineered foods. It's a lie that we have to destroy.
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