MILK, SWEETS, FARMING PRACTICES AND YOU

RBST, short for recombinant bovine somatotropin, is a type of artificial growth hormone that increases milk production. It is illegal for use in Canadian dairy cows but is legal in the USA.  

Earlier research has pointed out links between rBST and different types of cancers, earlier puberty in girls and though this debate continues, we know that dairy lobbyists in the USA and published research will manipulate findings and facts for their own ends. Whatever, the scientific research points to, Mithai Indian Cafe uses rBST free milk from a family-owned farm in Alamance County called Homeland Creamery. 

What is special about our Indian sweets is the milk we use and the method in which it is pasteurized. Most milk today is pasteurized under the HTST (high-temperature-short-time) method where milk is pasteurized at 161 degrees for 15 seconds -- this allows facilities to process more milk in a shorter period of time.

At Homeland Creamery, they use a method called VAT Pasteurization -- this heats the milk in small batches at a lower temperature for about 30 minutes. During this process, a high percentage of the milk’s natural enzymes add beneficial bacteria is retained which adds flavour and retains the health benefits of the milk. 

The milk is sold in the cafe, used in the sweets, and in all the beverages we make. Homeland Creamery does not use any antibiotics on the cows and if a cow is treated in any way, it is not milked for the next three weeks to avoid that medication from entering our milk.

Our Indian sweets do not use ready-made, ready to use, store-bought milk powder. Our processes are still how they were 100 years ago with no short cuts!