Is Organic Milk Better?

It’s been a decades-long debate – are organic foods and drinks better than their non-organic counterparts? This question gets even trickier to answer with animal products because of the use of things like added hormones and antibiotics that can be given to them, therefore impacting animal products like milk.

Organic milk will be free of added hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics, and it might contain more nutrients compared to non-organic milk. Whether or not it’s better is a subjective question with several factors, which we’ll explore in this article.

If you’ve been wondering what the answer is to this question, we hope we can help you decide what’s best for you!

What is organic milk?

So what does it mean to be organic, anyway? One of the definitions of organic is “produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents.” 

Organic milk is produced from cows that have been raised without the use of pesticides in their feed, antibiotics, and growth hormones – all of which can be used in conventional (non-organic) milk.

For plant-based milk, organic milk means that the source of the milk is produced organically (without the use of pesticides, etc.). For instance, organic almond milk contains organic almonds and other organic ingredients.

For cow’s milk to be considered organic, the cows need to have been raised organically for at least one year before the milk is produced.

Is organic milk better?

Cows can be given hormones to help increase their milk production. That means that trace levels of these added hormones can be present in their milk, which is then consumed when you drink the milk.

However, there will be certain hormones present in organic milk because they are produced by the cow, so the key to organic milk is that it doesn’t contain any added hormones.

Organic milk won’t have traces of pesticides (which may be used in the production of the cow’s feed) or antibiotics, which are given to cows to prevent and treat bacterial infections. 

Some studies show that levels of certain nutrients might be higher in organic milk – but it will all depend on the cow’s feed, so that can vary.

Safety of conventional (non-organic) milk

If you choose non-organic milk, does that mean that the hormones and other trace levels of things like antibiotics are harmful?

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), non-organic milk contains such low levels of things like added hormones that it’s not considered harmful for people to consume.

Some people might feel satisfied by that answer, while others prefer to completely avoid added hormones and other non-organic substances in milk altogether. 

Drawbacks of organic milk

What is the drawback of choosing organic milk? The main thing it comes down to is the cost – organic milk is more expensive than “regular” milk because it costs more to produce without the use of chemicals and synthetic ingredients.

According to Walmart at the time this article was written, one gallon of Great Value non-organic 2% milk costs $2.92, while one gallon of Great Value Organic 2% milk costs $5.98 – over 50% more expensive than non-organic milk.

The bottom line – is organic milk better?

Whether or not you choose organic products comes down to a personal preference. So if we can come to a bottom line as best as we can (because it’s not a black-and-white answer), here’s what we’ll say:

If you feel like the potential health benefits of choosing organic milk are worth the increased cost, then organic milk is likely a better choice for you.

If you feel like non-organic milk is a good choice for you given your personal preferences, grocery budget, etc., then organic milk might not be a better choice for you.

FAQs:

Links on this page may be affiliate links, for which the site earns a small commission, but the price for you is the same