Got Dairy?

Happy #FoodSafetyFriday ....

Oh wait ... It's Saturday! 

​I made it home in one piece from IAFP 2019 and no lie, I am completely exhausted. As usual it was an awesome and informative trip  ... and SO much to catch you up on; but more about that in next week’s edition of ThatFSGuy.
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​We missed National Dairy Month but a few weeks ago I happened to participate on a webinar that focused on the dairy section of the retail store. The point of view represented was of the case manufacturer and had several good points worthy of mentioning:

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Did you know the dairy section makes up about 20% of the profits for food retail?

​Twenty percent is a good chunk but sadly it’s woefully underutilized. Liquid Dairy uses about 1/10th of that space delivering roughly 20% of the profit. 

Utilizing cross-merchandising, a grocer  can lift profits in other categories as well as dairy. How often  you see an Oreo Display next to the dairy cases? .Or other chartreuse tray products? 

For the best quality, dairy cases should be clean and hold very tight temperatures. ​The best means to control temperatures swings is to add doors to your cases. 38F is the optimal temperature for product quality but staying below 41F keeps it legal.

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When purchasing Ice Cream, look for firm or hard packed packages that are free from ice crystals. With recent events, make sure and test the seals. If you find the lid loose or it appears to be tampered with alert the retailer.
 
Many folks are worried about growth hormones in their dairy products. Only 17.2 % of cows are treated with rbST, which is similar to estrogen. The hormones that have been detected in dairy are the natural product of the cow and not effected by the additional treatments.

​You would have to eat 3400+ lbs per day of inoculated meat to equal what’s in a the most prescribed birth control pill.

Just for comparison, an 8oz serving of Cabbage has 1000x more estrogen than 1 lb of that treated meat.

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Worried about antibiotics in milk? 

The FDA requires milk be tested twice for antibiotics and has been reporting 0.000% trace amounts for years.
 
Yes, you can keep butter on the counter for a day or two. Eventually enzymes will cause the butter to go rancid breaking down the fats and oils. This is more of a quality issue than safety though.
 
JUST SAY NO to raw milk. The risks greatly out way any possible benefits.
 
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Sláinte
James

Science | Safety | Sustainability
http://www.ThatFoodSafetyGuy.com
Instagram▫️Facebook▫️Twitter @ThatFSGuy

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