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America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

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Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#171

Post by rsynnott »

jononomo wrote: post #19
toomuchtodo wrote: post #6

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.

I just think you're damaging your kids by not giving them milk, which is the most nutritious thing you can feed a kid. Also, your kids may be lactose intolerant due to other stuff in their diet, like gluten or other toxins in plant-based foods that lead to a leaky gut.

Realistically, it is a lot more likely that the kids are lactose intolerant (over half of humanity) than that they have celiac disease (under 1% of humanity).

Also, there's a fairly foolproof test for lactose intolerance.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#172

Post by uhtred »

melq wrote: post #168
uhtred wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their mother's milk, during infancy. No mammals other than humans drink milk after infancy, and humans have only been doing that for a few thousand years. I'm sure there's links to evidence I can find but I'm not going to waste my time as it's common sense.

If its healthy during infancy why would it be unhealthy during adulthood?

Because the average adult doesn't need such a high concentration of fat and calories in a single drink / bowl of cereal / piece of cheese etc. If it was healthy and natural you'd be drinking your mother's milk as an adult, but I'm sure you aren't.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#173

Post by throwaway5752 »

dmix wrote: post #146
achow wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>..these companies were recently bought by private equity firm KKR Co Not KKR. In 1995, Borden was acquired for $2 billion by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), which proceeded to sell off pieces of the company to various buyers. Washington, D.C.-based ACON Dairy Investors, LLC purchased the company in 2017. https://www.bevnet.com/news/2020/borden-dairy-co-files-for-b... [Edit] Not sure whether the twitt narrative…

There have been studies showing private equity does more good for dying businesses than bad. Congress attacked them heavily during the 2008 crisis and they were the first companies called in to congress to answer "tough questions". But it turns out they didn't cause the crisis and that more companies are better off after PE acquisition (ie, they got turned around for the better and created greater economic production…

They do really awful things, too, and they are rewarded outrageously for it with very little personal risk. Taking a 10x levered loan to pay for a company, transferring the debt to them, and cutting the company loose after paying yourself a dividend that more that covers your loan principal has nothing noble about it at all.

I don't want to be acquired by them, but I have much more respect for shops like Thoma Bravo that act as operators and acquire strategically for portfolio companies that places like Bain, for example.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#174

Post by bluGill »

eldavido wrote: post #132
LatteLazy wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry in advance, this is a bit of a rant... The problem is not defined benefit vs defined contribution really, it's that companies are not really required to fund defined benefit. There are 1001 third party companies (normally insurers) who will happily underwrite a defined benefit scheme (so if the employer goes under the pensions are fine). But that would mean employers actually making pensions contributions that…

I take the status quo as my starting point. McClatchy just had pension trouble. So does my home state of Illinois. So does this company, apparently. You seem to think it's possible to just magic a large-scale change in human behavior into existence. It isn't. I think DC+social security is a pretty fair compromise. You're never going to starve if you totally screw up. There's also Medicare to help pay medical expenses…

The problem with skin in the game is I know of a few people who lost everything to a scam. Now forced to work at WalMart to make ends meet... I hope I avoid that with my skin in the game, but I'm well aware of how easy it is to fall for scams and am thus afraid that I will as I get older.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#175

Post by theflyinghorse »

alistairSH wrote: post #127
swarnie_ wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can anyone link? As a limey Brit id rather listen to John Oliver then this Tucker chap. (seriously this passes for news?)

No, Tucker Carlson is not news. He's a pundit/commentator who has a talk show. Neither is John Oliver. I'd almost say they're flip sides of the same coin, except Carlson trends WAY right (often right into conspiracy theory land) and Oliver is more center-left.

Oliver is fairly far left wheres Tucker is closer to center

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#176

Post by saiya-jin »

epc wrote: post #91
mcv wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Traditional “defined benefit” employee pensions in the US were treated as a balance sheet line item. There wasn't a separate, fenced off, account where funds were secured. In the 1980s it became popular for “corporate raiders” (today’s “private equity”) to target companies with mediocre corporate results but well funded pensions. Because the pension obligations weren't sequestered, you could legitimately take over a…

Is this still true for majority of the US working force? As an European I find it ridiculous that your pension could be wiped out like that, and not be completely separated from employer either managed by state, or dedicated pension fund manager (what I prefer but citizens have no say in this, you have to move state to change this). Companies go bankrupt all the times, small or big.

If it gets wiped out, what happens to those people? Getting by on social help, food stamps and super basic healthcare through rest of their lives?

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#177

Post by winternett »

JohnJamesRambo wrote: post #135

I’m constantly amazed at how cheap milk is in the grocery store. A gallon of Great Value 1% milk is $2.77 now. That seems low for what you are getting (a gallon of protein rich fluid milked from a cow and transported to you). How much profit could be left? I’ve heard that grocery stores sell milk for less than they buy it for just to get you into the store, because they know you will buy other things. I haven’t check…

What is happening seems to me to be retribution for an industry ripe with bad practices like overusing hormones and steroids, and abusing cows...

It's a shame that milk farmers got to bail out without being held responsible. The fast growth in alternative milk was driven by bad practices by the dairy industry, and when unethical behavior is driven by shareholder expectations, it only gets worse.

We need to stop supporting in and investing in companies that poison food supplies, otherwise we're literally suffering for the profit growth that that creates.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#178

Post by nerevarthelame »

t0ddbonzalez wrote: post #92
m463 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's lots of evidence milk isn't as good for you as the dairy industry advertises.

> " There's lots of evidence milk isn't as good for you as the dairy industry advertises." lol at this ridiculous comment. Present the evidence please. How many millions of years do you think mammals have been drinking milk for?

You're right that they should present the evidence, but "How many millions of years" isn't an especially convincing counterargument either. For most of those millions of years, mammals have been drinking strictly the milk from their species only during their infancy.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#179

Post by bluGill »

TacticalTable wrote: post #153
Zelphyr wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’ve heard that grocery stores sell milk for less than they buy it for just to get you into the store, because they know you will buy other things. I wonder if this is why they always put it in the back of the store? That way you have to walk through a vast array of higher margin things that you might suddenly decide you need on the way to and from picking up a gallon of milk.

Yes. Same deal with Eggs, and why they have all the candy at the registers. And why they rearrange the store occasionally.

Candy is by the registers because candy companies know impulse buys at the registers are a big factor in sales and they pay (indirectly via profit margin?) for that place.

Re: America's Biggest Milk Producers Are Going Bankrupt

#180

Post by maximente »

uhtred wrote: post #145
klipt wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whole milk is still recommended by pediatricians for toddlers, I imagine plant based milk is not nutritionally equivalent.

I drink unflavored, unsweetened soy milk. Just two ingredients, soy beans and water. It tastes great when made properly, and is very nutritious, high protein and good fats, calcium etc

what brand/product is this, or is it homemade?
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