big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
Thought I'd share, this info came to me from a local goat milk dairy.
And Now for a Short Diatribe
Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a political newsletter, but every now and then a few words are in order. Anyway: MPC. What is it?
In the wide world of food additives, this one is particularly insidious. MPC stands for Milk Protein Concentrate. It is created by "ultrafiltering" milk (sounds good, doesn't it, even better than regular filtering?).
First fluid milk is filtered to remove the valuable butterfat, then the remaining liquid is ultrafiltered, a process whereby the large (protein) particles are separated from the smaller particles (lactose, vitamins, minerals) which pass through the filter and are sold separately. The so-called milk protein is then dried and turned into a powder. The MPC is then imported into the United States (virtually all of it is made overseas in such countries as China, India, Poland, and the Ukraine) and used by large conglomerates as a cheap extender, so that they can make more cheese "product" from a smaller amount of fluid milk.
So what? Well, several things:
1. Along with the protein, bacteria and somatic cells (cells in the animal's udder that are fighting infection) separate in the filtration process. They are also dried and turned into powder.
2. MPC has no standard of identity (it is also used to make glue) when it comes to food, which means that it is not on the FDA's list of GRAS (generally regarded as safe) ingredients, which means that it is not a legal food ingredient. Yet such mega-corporations as Kraft have been using it in ever-increasing amounts for the past few years, in flagrant violation of FDA regulations. Proving once again that if you are big enough, you do not have to obey the rules.
3. Kraft in particular uses MPC in a variety of products marketed to children. Kraft Singles include a significant amount of MPC.
4. Because of the United States' complex, convoluted, well-nigh incomprehensible formula for the price paid to farmers for milk, MPC drives down the price of milk. That's why in a year when dairy businesses like Kraft and Dean Foods are delivering huge profits, record numbers of American dairy farmers are going bankrupt, and record numbers of American dairy cows are going to slaughter.
Don't eat MPC.
And Now for a Short Diatribe
Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a political newsletter, but every now and then a few words are in order. Anyway: MPC. What is it?
In the wide world of food additives, this one is particularly insidious. MPC stands for Milk Protein Concentrate. It is created by "ultrafiltering" milk (sounds good, doesn't it, even better than regular filtering?).
First fluid milk is filtered to remove the valuable butterfat, then the remaining liquid is ultrafiltered, a process whereby the large (protein) particles are separated from the smaller particles (lactose, vitamins, minerals) which pass through the filter and are sold separately. The so-called milk protein is then dried and turned into a powder. The MPC is then imported into the United States (virtually all of it is made overseas in such countries as China, India, Poland, and the Ukraine) and used by large conglomerates as a cheap extender, so that they can make more cheese "product" from a smaller amount of fluid milk.
So what? Well, several things:
1. Along with the protein, bacteria and somatic cells (cells in the animal's udder that are fighting infection) separate in the filtration process. They are also dried and turned into powder.
2. MPC has no standard of identity (it is also used to make glue) when it comes to food, which means that it is not on the FDA's list of GRAS (generally regarded as safe) ingredients, which means that it is not a legal food ingredient. Yet such mega-corporations as Kraft have been using it in ever-increasing amounts for the past few years, in flagrant violation of FDA regulations. Proving once again that if you are big enough, you do not have to obey the rules.
3. Kraft in particular uses MPC in a variety of products marketed to children. Kraft Singles include a significant amount of MPC.
4. Because of the United States' complex, convoluted, well-nigh incomprehensible formula for the price paid to farmers for milk, MPC drives down the price of milk. That's why in a year when dairy businesses like Kraft and Dean Foods are delivering huge profits, record numbers of American dairy farmers are going bankrupt, and record numbers of American dairy cows are going to slaughter.
Don't eat MPC.
There really are no words for the betrayal by the food industry, especially the betrayal of children....
)
