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America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

foodandwine.com

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Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#61
post #10

The title of the article states that milk producers are "going bankrupt," but then cites the rising costs of raw milk, which seems like a good thing for a milk producer. So I look up the company on wikipedia and Borden Dairy is a processor & distributor, not a producer. Furthermore, "employee pension obligations" being cited as a primary cause of bankruptcy without any more details raises a red flag for me. This arti…

I keep reading weird stuff from the US about employee pension obligations being a burden on companies, and those savings getting eaten or stolen in all sorts of corporate shenanigans. Are these things really not handled by life insurance companies and subject to all sorts of regulation? That sounds woefully irresponsible.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where did you get that idea? Milk is one of the 2-3 most nutritious foods on Earth. In fact, milk has been designed by evolution over millions of years to be precisely what a mammal needs to thrive.

Some humans have the necessary genes to digest milk, some do not. Can't lump all mammals together. > Milk contains a type of sugar called lactose, which is distinct from the sugars found in fruit and other sweet foods. When we are babies, our bodies make a special enzyme called lactase that allows us to digest the lactose in our mother’s milk. But after we are weaned in early childhood, for many people this stops. Wi…

> "Some humans have the necessary genes to digest milk, some do not. Can't lump all mammals together."

Note, adult mammals. Drinking milk as a baby is literally the definition of mammal. Even the platypus, which lays eggs and lacks teats, counts as mammal because they still produce milk to feed their children.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We use pea milk with our kids because they're lactose intolerant. Pediatrician recommended as long as they're getting more protein and fat elsewhere in their diet (which they do). It doesn't hurt that peas don't care how they're raised and treated to produce milk. Dairy milk is not nutritionally necessary in any age cohort. If you enjoy it, that's fine of course, but it isn't required if you don't.

How did you determine that they are lactose intolerant? Just trial and error, or is there a specific way to confirm this?

There is a test. See here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lactose-intol...

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We use pea milk with our kids because they're lactose intolerant. Pediatrician recommended as long as they're getting more protein and fat elsewhere in their diet (which they do). It doesn't hurt that peas don't care how they're raised and treated to produce milk. Dairy milk is not nutritionally necessary in any age cohort. If you enjoy it, that's fine of course, but it isn't required if you don't.

How did you determine that they are lactose intolerant? Just trial and error, or is there a specific way to confirm this?

It's pretty easy to tell if you're more than just slightly lactose intolerant. The symptoms are pretty obvious and go away after a day or two of avoiding dairy.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#66
post #28
post #3

A counterpoint: these companies were recently bought by private equity firm KKR Co, the same company that loaded up Toys 'R Us with debt and then liquidated it. https://mobile.twitter.com/rhinosoros/status/121424602712711... This bankruptcy filling might just be negotiation in the courts to reduce pension obligations.

I don't understand how bigger waves haven't yet been made about these locusts. Where's the New York Times expose? Proposals by Congress on how to make this vampirism illegal? Literally anything?

It has been extremely well-covered in the media. The oligarchs in Congress don’t care.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#67
post #54
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand how bigger waves haven't yet been made about these locusts. Where's the New York Times expose? Proposals by Congress on how to make this vampirism illegal? Literally anything?

I mean it was a core plot point of Pretty Woman back in 1990. People are aware of asset strippers.

All the messages in that movie really bother me just because it's so unrelatable as a man. Many women I know see it as just a prince charming story and like it because of that. Aside from the corporate raiding married man picking up prostitutes on business travel, I think I'd find it more relatable if there was a world where women were reliably scooping up men while the man's life was in shambles and changing their life situation. But no, if you want companionship as a man even if its the unhealthy kind, you have to have a big expense account. 1 out of 5

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#68
post #28
post #3

A counterpoint: these companies were recently bought by private equity firm KKR Co, the same company that loaded up Toys 'R Us with debt and then liquidated it. https://mobile.twitter.com/rhinosoros/status/121424602712711... This bankruptcy filling might just be negotiation in the courts to reduce pension obligations.

I don't understand how bigger waves haven't yet been made about these locusts. Where's the New York Times expose? Proposals by Congress on how to make this vampirism illegal? Literally anything?

I don't live in a world where companies stand by their financial contractual agreements to employees or even offer them. It is also obvious to me that the companies that did this often don't have the money to fulfill it.

Why would I want a law to warp the market even further to protect pensions and these zombie companies?

Perhaps my observations reflect the sentiment of others and that's why bigger waves haven't been made, because we don't care about this slow motion trainwreck.

Lever up

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#69
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's evidence my ancestors have been drinking milk for at least 10,000 years. It's field tested.

> There's evidence my ancestors have been drinking milk for at least 10,000 years Most humans can't digest lactose after infancy [1]. For those who can, we have limited research around the quantity in and frequency with which their ancestors consumed whole milk. Comparisons to modern milk, produced by stressed-out cows bred for volume and fed god-knows-what, are tenuous. [1] https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-…

Some people die from being near peanut dust. That doesn't mean nuts are unhealthy to those who can eat them.

Even those who are included in "lactose intolerant" populations actually have no trouble chugging a huge glass of milk everyday along with some cheese and yogurt. Intolerance charts like you'd find on Wikipedia would lead you to suggest east Asians can't consume milk at all without discomfort, yet yogurt for breakfast, milk during lunch, a milk tea before dinner and ice cream after isn't even the slightest bit uncommon and causes no trouble for most people.

That some people can consume liters a day (or gallons, for those trying to gain muscle fast) seems to indicate that some people evolved to be fine with dairy.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#70
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean it was a core plot point of Pretty Woman back in 1990. People are aware of asset strippers.

All the messages in that movie really bother me just because it's so unrelatable as a man. Many women I know see it as just a prince charming story and like it because of that. Aside from the corporate raiding married man picking up prostitutes on business travel, I think I'd find it more relatable if there was a world where women were reliably scooping up men while the man's life was in shambles and changing their l…

Would you chase after a fat, ugly, disgusting woman? I'm guessing no unless you were incredibly desperate. Most women are attracted to a man's status and success the way most men are attracted to physical beauty. You don't need a lot of money, but women don't want to hang around with loser.
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