Milk is a very rich source of nutrients. It is a liquid food, and young babies are given milk fast before they can digest solid food. Milk contains a lot of antibodies that are good for the human body as it helps us to protect from diseases and make our immunity strong. Not only do human beings consume milk, but it can be seen in various mammals and species that breastfeed their young ones. There are different types of milk depending upon some factors like Regular and Organic milk.
Milk vs Organic Milk
The main difference between milk and Organic Milk is that normal milk is produced from cows that feed on the grass, which have chemicals and fertilizers in them. While organic milk is produced from the cows that eat organic or natural grass without using any chemicals or fertilizers on them. Organic milk is very expensive than regular milk. Regular milk can sustain a lower time than organic milk.
Milk is an agricultural product that is collected from animals on farms. Milk is very important because it holds a lot of nutrients like lactose and protein. Consumption of milk has two different purposes either they are used as a food product obtained from the mammals like cows, buffalos, goats etc., for human beings, or they are a natural source for young infant mammals. Early milk contains colostrum that prevents infant babies from all the diseases and helps them in growth factors, nutrients and antibodies.
Organic milk is the milk that is produced from organic farming methods. Sometimes organic milk is often referred to as bio-milk or eco-milk according to certain food jurisdictions. To produce organic milk, it has to undergo a lot of processes like livestock must graze on pasture in such a way that they are organically certified. Animals should not be slaughtered on the farm or drugged etc.
Comparison Table Between Milk and Organic Milk
| Parameters of Comparison | Organic Milk | Milk |
| Taste | Rich and creamy | Not rich taste |
| Shelf life | Longer | Shorter |
| Cost | Expensive | Cheaper |
| Treatment | Not treated with antibodies and hormones | Treated with antibodies and hormones |
| Safety | Natural and safe | Artificial and not safe |
What is Milk?
Milk is processed to make many products like butter, yoghurt, cream, kefir, ice cream, and cheese. Humans started domesticating animals for milk in the Neolithic era. Since then, this process has been carried in Mesopotamia from 7000 BC. Due to the industrialization in the 19th period, demand for milk started growing, and it started to become urbanized. As the purchasing power increased, milk became an important commodity.
In the modern era, cows milk dominates production globally. India is the largest producer of milk. It also exports skimmed products globally. Human milk is also produced, but it is not used for industrial or commercial purposes. Human milk banks are set up where milk is collected and redistributed to infants for several purposes like allergies, diseases etc. pH of the milk is between 6.4 to 6.8. It ranges with time and also changes. Milk contains a lot of nutrients like Calcium, phosphate, magnesium, sodium, potassium, citrate, and chloride.
Milk also contains carbohydrates and sugars like glucose, galactose, lactose, oligosaccharides. Lactose present inside the milk give it a sweet flavour and also gives 40% calories. Pasteurization is done for the milk because it kills harmful bacteria by heating it and then cooling it immediately. Pasteurized milk is of various types like full cream, reduced fat, skim milk, calcium-enriched, flavoured, and UHT. Microfiltration is also done to replace pasteurization. It increases the shelf life of milk without a change in taste.
What is Organic Milk?
The taste of organic milk is slightly different from normal milk. Because the amount of heat given for the treatment of milk may differ, and it can change the taste of the milk. It is normally seen that organic milk is richer, creamier and has a nutty flavour to it. Talking about economic factors, producing organic milk is very expensive than conventional milk. Organic milk farms also produce less milk per cow because the cost is a lot more.
In America, organic milk accounts for 18% and has a business of $2.5 billion. Milk produced by the cows is fed natural grasses in a natural environment. Cows are freed to graze in the open pasture. They are not given any chemicals, medicines or drugs. Even antibodies and hormones are not used to increase milk production as done by conventional milk farmers. Organic milk tends to be safer and natural than regular milk because of the following conditions.
Organic milk has a larger life as it undergoes the process of pasteurization. It also undergoes ultra-high temperature for processing the milk. Organic milk, according to studies, consists of more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and vaccenic acid. However, in normal milk and organic milk, there is no change in the composition of vitamins, fatty acids, proteins or fat. There are many laws, rules, and regulations to be followed while producing organic milk.
Main Differences Between Milk and Organic Milk
- Milk is very rich in nutrients but is not very rich in taste. Organic milk is rich and creamier in taste.
- Milk has a shorter shelf life as it cannot sustain itself due to chemicals present in it. Organic milk has a longer shelf life as no chemicals are present inside it.
- The cost of milk is cheaper and can be afforded by everyone. While organic milk is very much expensive and cannot be afforded by everyone.
- Milk is treated with antibodies and hormones to increase milk production. Organic milk is not treated with antibodies and hormones to increase milk production
- Milk is not very safe as it may contain some harmful bacteria if pasteurization and microfiltration are not done. Organic milk is considered natural and safe and undergoes ultra high treatment.
Conclusion
Both milk and organic milk contains proteins, vitamins, fats and fatty acids. Both don’t have much difference. There is a shortage of clinical studies that prove that organic milk is better than normal milk. The good thing about organic milk is that it is produced organically without any drugs or chemicals. But a lot of care is needed to do so. According to studies, there is not much difference in health benefits. Both have the same benefits, but organic milk contains two things that normal milk doesn’t have i.e. recombinant bovine somatotropin and recombinant bovine growth hormone.
References
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8276.2009.01258.x
- https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00070700210434570/full/html