Swearing that a drink of raw milk beats a trip to the doctor, a Brooklyn woman has gotten in with an underground network that traffics the unhomogenized, unpasteurized product. According to the Brooklyn Paper, Hannah Springer and her fellow milk smugglers meet at secret "drop-off" points around the city, to collect bottles driven down from farms in Pennsylvania. Like many converts, Springer had her first taste after reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, and now she's addicted. “I no longer have to take thyroid meds, which every doctor said I would be on for the rest of my life,” said the mom, who feeds two glasses of the stuff to her 18-month old son daily. But if its curative properties are what she says, why does the FDA call it "inherently dangerous"?
“[Raw milk] should not be consumed by anyone at any time for any purpose,” said Michael Herndon, a spokesman for the FDA, explaining that "it may contain many pathogens … that may be especially problematic for infants, young children, the elderly.” As far back as 1987 the FDA has prohibited the shipment of raw milk across state lines, and the controversy over raw milk has raged. One organization, the Westin A. Price foundation—whose "Real Milk" campaign claims milk becomes less healthy through pasteurization—pointed Springer to her current "club" where she now acts as a membership director, excluding those who seek to "tear the group apart from the inside."
The dairy devotee has plans for a "drop off" service in Bay Ridge and Sunset Park, with each gallon of raw milk costing $6-7. The club also offers grass-fed beef, "true-pastured eggs" and "the best bacon in the world."
