Dairy: No Selenium, Vitamin Boost For Organic Milk, say researchers

Vitamin E and beta-carotene levels in milk are directly correlated to intake of those nutrients, whether the cows are fed a conventional ration or an organic-based ration. If any cow is consuming lush, green grass then her fat-soluble vitamin levels will be higher in her milk compared to a cow being fed a ration high in haylage or silage. Alfalfa hay has higher vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) and beta-carotene levels when compared to equal dry matter intakes of silage or haylage. Milk fat-soluble vitamin levels depend exclusively on dietary intake. Recent research in Sweden suggests that natural vitamin E is deposited at higher levels compared to synthetic vitamin E when fed at equal International Units. Rob Stuart, Stuart Products, Inc.

As Dr. Stewart notes, the quantity of these nutrients in milk are related to dietary intake. The report should not infer in any way that cows grazing on organic certified pastures are going to give milk with more of the said nutrients in the milk than cows grazing on conventionally maintained pastures of the same quality. The same is true for cows maintained on dried and/or ensiled forages. All that is needed is to fortify the rations to increase these nutrients in the milk. It may be a mute point for the fat soluble vitamins since more and more skim milk is being consumed and these vitamins are removed from the milk when the fat is separated. It all boils down to the fact that organic milk is no healthier for the consumer than conventional milk, just more expensive and thus less affordable for many.