“New Zealand is the world leader in grazing production systems”
“Some US producers are hanging their hopes on a modified New Zealand system to help them
become efficient enough to stay in business. “
“Pasture-based, seasonal milk-production systems used in New Zealand are being modified for
the Missouri Ozarks.”
“Having managed my own dairy operation since 1936, I was interested in the modus operandi of
dairy farmers in New Zealand”
One of the reasons for this high regard is that New Zealand dairies are held to some of the most
stringent standards in the world. In New Zealand, the Dairy and Plant Products Group (a division
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry-MAF) provides assurance to consumers, both domestic
and international, that New Zealand’s dairy products are safe and true to label. And, the
government mandates that all dairy products (colostrum included) must be free of antibiotics,
chemical residues and hormones (rbST is illegal in New Zealand).

(2) In New Zealand, dairy farmer Brian Thompson states,” We have high-quality ryegrass and
white clover pasture virtually year round. Our climate is mild with only four or five frosts and no
hard freezes in winter." In the US, extreme cold temperatures or windchills will increase the cow's
energy needs. If this energy is not fed in the diet, the cow will take nutrients from its body to meet
energy demands. Likewise, extremely hot weather often results in low colostrum production.

(3) In New Zealand, the MAF Dairy and Plant Products Group convenes twice a year to review the
MAF standards relating to colostrum. Colostrum production, storage and transportation must be
in accordance with a product safety program. While in the U.S., the Public Health Service has no
legal jurisdiction in the enforcement of milk or milk product sanitation standards; only now is the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considering whether to institute rulemaking to develop
current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for dietary supplements, including
colostrum.

(4) In New Zealand, all dairy farms and milk production facilities must be certified by the MAF, while
in the US, no such certification exists. Domestically, states and communities are encouraged to
implement the Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, but it is not a requirement. Also, the “Grade
A” standard was not developed with colostrum in mind, unlike the New Zealand regulations, and
has no guidelines about how colostrum should be harvested, transported, processed and stored
for maximum potency and safety.

(5) New Zealand farmers begin their six- to eight-week breeding season in September. The cows
calve in July and August- winter in the southern hemisphere-and are weaned in mid-May.. (About
95% of the country's dairy herds follow this schedule.) Most US dairy operators strive for a calving
interval of 2 months (this goal is rarely achieved) The concern from activists is that nearly
continuously pregnant cows are constantly burdened with carrying large quantities of milk. And,
the induction of ovulation has been associated with side effects such as abnormal estrous
behavior, reduced fertility, cystic follicles and corpora lutea, and chronic vaginal prolapse. Some
US producers are hanging their hopes on a modified New Zealand breeding system to help them
become efficient enough to stay in business

(6) Colostrum in New Zealand is collected fresh in sterile, refrigerated vats. This process helps
maintain the bioactivity of colostrum’s fragile components while protecting it from bacterial
contamination. The colostrum is then immediately processed to protect vital components.
Freezing colostrum is an acceptable method for storing excess colostrum on dairy farms,
however the method in which it is stored and subsequently thawed, needs to be very exacting if
the fragile active components are to be safeguarded. Frozen colostrum needs to be stored in
small freezer bags (unlikely with large amounts of colostrum for mass production). Because the
antibodies and immunoglobulins in colostrum are proteins, careful thawing, at low temperatures
is essential to maintain biological activity.

(7) Pasteurization is required to eliminate dangerous bacteria that can be found in all milk
products (including colostrum). In ordinary high temperature short time (HTST, 72° C / 15 sec)
also known as “flash pasteurization,” only 0.5 -10 % of Ig activity is lost. However, high
temperatures (167°F and over) destroy colostrum’s overall effectiveness, as illustrated in the
chart below. To maintain the integrity of the product, New Zealand only uses low heat processing
and flash pasteurization, rather than the high heat required by US law for its dairy products.

(8) The use of antibiotics is illegal in the New Zealand dairy industry. The MAF requires a screening
test for antibiotic residues, while in the US, antibiotic use is widely practiced on dairy farms. Most
US dairy farms store antibiotics on the premises to treat cows that are about to give birth. The
Dairy Science and Technology division of the University of Guelph reports, “the presence of
antibiotic residues in milk products is very problematic for at least three reasons;

In the production of fermented milks, antibiotic residues can slow or destroy the growth of the
fermentation bacteria. From a human health point of view, some people are allergic to specific antibiotics, and their presence in food consumed can have severe consequences.
Frequent exposure to low level antibiotics can cause microorganisms to become resistant to
them, through mutation, so that they are ineffective when needed to fight a human infection.
For these reasons, it is extremely important that milk from cows being treated with antibiotics is
withheld from the milk supply.”

We’ll go even further. While certain antibiotics can be extremely helpful in combating short-term bacterial infection, their long-term ingestion, even in small amounts can actually weaken human i
mmune systems. Also, antibiotics destroy beneficial bacteria or probiotics in the human digestive
tract which are critically important for overall digestive health, including the assimilation of food
and micronutrients such as vitamins, and the bioactive factors in colostrum.

(9) Dairy management systems in New Zealand prohibit the use of hormones. In the US,
hormones like rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) are used to stimulate growth and milk
production. Research shows that higher producing cows are more likely to have lower
concentrations of IgG in their colostrum at calving. The sale of milk from cows treated with
recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) is also approved in the US. Recent studies find that
milk quality may actually be degraded somewhat as a result of the increased incidence of
mastitis associated with the use of rbGH/rbST. In several countries, milk quality is measured by
somatic cell counts (SCC). SCC are significantly elevated in the milk of rbGH/rbST-treated cows.
Milk with a high SCC tends to spoil faster than milk with lower SCC. Also, a decline in nutritional
quality and protein content has been observed in the early stages of supplementation with
rbGH/rbST.

Finally, no scientists and medical researchers are yet certain of the effects on humans of minute
residues of bovine hormones in dairy products. Since hormones naturally occur in our bodies in
infinitesimal quantities, and still create powerful effects, it seems to make sense (at least to us)
to be cautious about ingesting any hormones (or residues of hormones) which are not prescribed
by a health care professional.

(10) In New Zealand, farmers may be fined up to $100,000 for infractions against regulations,
including the presence of hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. According to the US Grade A
Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, “No penalty is imposed on the producer… or distributor upon the first
violation of any of the sanitation requirements…” Additional infractions are considered
misdemeanors and no fines are imposed.

Where do you want your colostrum to come from?

References:
Miller, M. 2002, Colostrum in Newborn Calves
Rollin, B. E. 1990. Animal welfare, animal rights, and agriculture. Journal of Animal Science
68:3456-3461.
Federal Register: 1997 (Volume 62, Number 25) Proposed Rules
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Food and Drug
Administration Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance Revised 1999
Manning, E. Dairying New Zealand Style July 2001
Erb, R. E. 1977. Hormonal control of mammogenesis and onset of lactation in cows — A review.
Journal of Dairy Science 60:155-169.
Sawyer, G. J., W. J. Fulkerson, G. B. Martin, and C. Gow. 1986. Artificial induction of lactation in
cattle: Initiation of lactation and estrogen progesterone concentrations in milk. Journal of Dairy
Science 69:1536-1544.
Pritchett, L.C., et al. Management and production factors influencing immunoglobulin G1
concentration in colostrum from Holstein cows. 1991, J Dairy Sci, 74:2336.
USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services. Transfer of maternal immunity to calves. Highlights of the
National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Program. 1993 Bulletin No. N118.0293, USDA, Animal Plant
Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO.
Li-Chan et al. , 1995
TB Mepham, "Public health implications of bST use in dairying: discussion paper, "Joumal of the
Royal Society of Medicine 85: 736-739, 1992.
J.C. Juskevich and C. G. Guyer, "Bovine Growth Hormone: Human Food Safety Evaluation,"
Science 249: 875-884, 1990.