Matanuska Creamery: Queasy Cheese

I see a lot of uninformed statements made about Pasteurization!! You all should really look into the History of it. First of all Pasteurization was done for beer, not milk. What Pasteurization does is make it possible for unclean milk be sold to the public. It is not even close to being a healthy product. Do some research on it at westonaprice.org as they have ALL the information there. Do not be fooled by so called FDA or CDC statements, as they have an agenda and believe me, it is not the consumer safety, it is their pay checks!! Raw Milk is a VERY healthy product if handled correctly. I challenge anyone to try to prove that and untrue statement, with out the lies and false statements from the CDC. Check out the farms that have gone under because of the falsified tests supposedly done to bring them down. Just do a little checking instead of believing the government and their drivel. Raw milk is designed to fight off bad bacteria and doesn't need the help of the government. We as people need to patrol our handling of things instead of being sloppy and lazy about keeping things clean. That is what caused pasteurizing. What are we going to do, Pasteurize every food in the World so nothing has any real nutrient value???? That is what pasteurizing does, kills all the good food value and that is why a lot of people are sick, fat, and getting worse. Again, be informed, search, and prove things before taking just some governmental drivel as gospel truth.

I was excited to take part in the creation of a business to make and sell cheese with milk produced in the local area. I felt like I was involved in American history. Individuals have purchased shares in ship cargoes, railroad creations, mines, oil wells etc. Mutual funds are a distant cousin to owning direct shares in a business. I knowingly took the risk of the project failing. I am not outraged that things didn't go as planned. No one else needs to feel outraged for me. I didn't ask to have my investment protected by insurance. What's that saying? If you don't succeed try, try again.

Do you know what the final expenses to the State were on the Mat-Maid debacle?

Someone should request the e-mail traffic in the governor's office re Mat Maid. There is potential scandal there involving the Palin Klan and a few friends. A look at their e-mails would probably spur the legislature adding Mat Maid to the investigation.

but was too tired to comment. I thought maybe you meant that they found "staff" sitting in the cooler along with the cheese ;) All in all this is not a good thing, and could have caused significant problems for consumers, especially those with compromised immune systems. Instead of focusing on 'raw milk' the dairy should be focusing on what the cows are consuming. I buy ultrapasteurized organic milk and have never had a problem. Shame on Matanuska Creamery. This is inexcusable.

Question: If there was a problem with "staff", do you think the Immigration Department might have been involved instead of the DEC?

Andrew, Do you think people should be able to sell their raw milk?

..From what I know about the health risks; no. I think the health risks and the liability is too great. AH 

seems to be just one big government approved swindle right after another when it comes to Palin and her dairy friends now doesn't it? Why is the department of environmental conservation involved here opposed to the FDA? I would hope that the FDA is concerned that a fly-by-night outfit in the valley is manufacturing and trying to sell E-Coli laced dairy products. As for the futures contracts, good god. I would love to know who got rich off this little Wall Street-esque scam. Certainly not the good people of the community that ponied up for $250k worth of cheese futures that are now worth less than the paper they were printed on. Nor is it the taxpayers, who the $645k bill that funded this whole mis-adventure will foisted off on. Now that it looks certain that the huckerster milk men will fail to deliver, it is time for the authorities to start the investigation. Mat-Maid has been a blight on this state for years, what made anyone think that by changing the name to Matanuska Creamery and moving it to the valley was going to change the underlying flaws in the buisness? Someone needs to shut this place down with a lock and chain on the door before they can do anymore damage.

So AH, are you saying that because raw milk was used initially, that it tainted all the cheese, including cheese that was pasturized? or is a small amount of cheese tainted and therefore DEC cannot approve all the cheese? Heck if I know, I am no milk or cheese expert, but how did you become such an expert? Something doesn't make sense here? Supposedly thats why cheese was being made, it doesn't need pasturization etc? I am no expert...just a question asker. Since I am asking questions, besides the cheese, is the Milk side doing well? Are the farmers being paid? Is this a minor setback?

..I'm no expert either but that is exactly what I was told by the DEC official who is in charge yesterday. I'm not sure about the financial side about people getting paid I was just told that they raised $250,000 for advanced cheese sales which is now tied up in cheese they can't deliver. I was also told they didn't have insurance to cover the loss. AH

That's just insane.

There have to be some great one-liners about the cheese mess - but my brain is far too shot after the waves of allegations about Sarah and Ted's misdeeds to even begin to be coy.

Louis Pasteur is rolling over in his grave!

Is the dairy registered with the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities to sell futures?

it would be hilarious.

Staph infections are caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus

...I believe you are right. I'm not good on bacterias. AH