CNNMoney says that milk prices have soared 23.2% through November of this year, and people are cutting back on the amount of milk that they purchase.
John Norris’ family is drinking a lot less milk these days. He said he considers the higher prices and has cut back on his kids’ milk consumption. But between work and family obligations, he still drives almost as much as he used to.“That’s the reason I cut down on milk consumption – so I can drive my car,” said Norris.
And Norris should know. He’s the director of wealth management for Oakworth Capital Bank and a food price expert.
The Norrises aren’t the only family getting pinched at the grocery store. Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 4.7 percent since the beginning of the year through November, outpacing the 4.3 percent increase in the overall cost-of-living, according to the federal government’s Consumer Price Index.
Everyday foods like fruits and vegetables, beef, poultry and cereals are on the rise. The price of milk is the biggest culprit, with a staggering increase of 23.2 percent through November. And with basic foods like dairy and wheat driving up the cost of other groceries, almost everyone is feeling the squeeze.
Are these price increases hurting you? Are you drinking less milk?
Food prices soar in America [CNNMoney]
(Photo:pierre lascott)
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@synergy: It’s not just about taste. There are plenty of other reasons to buy organic. For example, animal welfare, worker/farmer welfare, environmental reasons, etc.
That being said, I do believe the quality of Organic Valley milk is much better than most of the store brands. It is much more consistently high quality; occasionally I would get a bad carton of the conventional stuff that had “off” taste or smell. It also consistently lasts much longer (like 2-3x longer), which tells me that it’s likely much fresher where I get it. That’s good for me because we don’t drink much milk, and it’s one of the main reasons I buy it. Also, not all organic is equal. Organic Valley is one of the best national organic brands while Horizon and Aurora have both been accused of violating the organic standards.
@Erwos: The CPI as systemic problems.
@trai_dep:
You aren’t talking ‘organic’ there. You’re talking ‘cream-on-top’ unhomogenized milk. It tastes a bit richer, at least for part of the bottle, since you have to mix it (or skim off the cream, making it *ta-dun* skim milk).
Or, actually, you might be talking unpasteurized.
“Organic” milk is a stupid, worthless label. It simply means that the cows have not been treated with rBGH. No study, ever, anywhere, has shown any difference between milk from treated and non-treated cows.
@Christian-Eff: Best I’ve found in Atlanta is Sam’s Club, ranging from $3.11 for skim to $3.49 for whole this week. Harry’s (my local “Whole Foods”) isn’t even close.
I’m also getting soy milk (for the child with a milk allergy) for $6.64 for 1.5 gallons at Sam’s. It’s been stable through the milk price run up… so if milk runs up much further, soy milk will become the frugal choice for us.
@RvLeshrac: Wrong. Organic milk is not just non-rBGH milk. It also means that they are fed pesticide-free grain, that they have “access to pasture”, and that they aren’t routinely treated with antibiotics. In addition, many organic dairies have generally higher quality standards than conventional, commodity milk dairies (above and beyond the USDA standard). This is why you should actually research the brand you are buying if you are going to buy organic.
Organic means not mineral.
@johnva:
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
I don’t know how many more times I can say THAT.
“Organic” is an official labeling standard. If you want to go BEYOND that and investigate the dairy, that’s fine, but don’t throw all that out there and say that “Organic Milk” meets all of those criteria.
Further:
1) rBGH has been shown, by numerous scientific studies, to be harmless (obviously in low doses) to humans, and has been shown to not affect the composition of the milk. rBGH doesn’t even show up in the milk.
2) I’ll grant that better feed makes better milk. That’s pretty obvious.
3) Happier and healthier cows also make better milk. Overuse of antibiotics is bad, but I want the cows to be well taken care of – that includes proper veterinary treatment.
4) “Higher quality standards” sounds like the same rhetoric used by the water bottlers. Unless you’ve actually inspected the facility, never trust that they’re holding themselves to a “higher quality standard.”
I know plenty of restaurants that will say the same thing, but they still aren’t going to throw out a $60 steak because it hit the floor.
@RvLeshrac: Maybe before calling me wrong you should look up what the USDA Organic label actually means. You are the one who doesn’t know what you are talking about. It IS NOT JUST lack of rGBH. It includes the things that I listed (no rGBH, pesticide-free grain, “access to pasture”, and no routine use of antibiotics). I do think the label probably doesn’t go far enough by itself, which is why I research the specific brands as well.
1) I know that. I don’t think the concern is that it’s affecting the milk directly. As I pointed out, quality of the milk itself is not the only reason people buy organic.
2) Yes. Agreed here.
3) They are allowed to use antibiotics to treat actual illness in the cows and still label it “organic”. They just can’t use it on ALL cows as a preventative measure. No one is advocating that they not get proper veterinary care.
4) I don’t. But I’ve read reports from people who have. That’s why I don’t bother with some “organic” companies like Horizon and Aurora.