Thank you to everyone for your great support of raw milk in the last legislative session — calling, emailing, sending testimonies, driving to Trenton.

RAW MILK HEARING in Trenton, THIS THURSDAY, February 2, at 2 pm.
State House Annex, 4th floor, room 12
Thurs, Feb 2, 2 pm
Please call, email, and come to Trenton.

We were strong last year with very positive results, and we are continuing the effort with even more people on board this year.  We will retrace our steps of gaining committee approval in the Assembly and then anticipate going for a vote from the whole Assembly again.  We will face opposing testimony again in the Senate committee, and if we are successful there we hope to bring the bill to a vote of the whole Senate for the first time.  It’s amazing to be part of the legislative process in this way.

CONFIRM
Always confirm a meeting before driving to Trenton, as hearing schedules sometimes change at the last minute.  Go to www.njleg.state.nj.us, choose Assembly Committees, then Agriculture and Natural Resources, and click View Schedule, then the meeting date.

PLEASE CALL & EMAIL
Please thank the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee for hearing the bill, and express your support for raw milk in NJ.

Nelson Albano (D), Chair
(609) 465-0700
AsmAlbano@njleg.org

Gilbert Wilson (D), Vice Chair
(856) 541-1251
AsmWilson@njleg.org

Marlene Caride (D), new committee member
(201) 446-9233
AswCaride@njleg.org

Robert Clifton (R), new committee member
(732) 446-3408
AsmClifton@njleg.org

Ronald Dancer (R)
(609) 758-0205
AsmDancer@njleg.org

TALKING POINTS
Please thank the committee members for their attention to this important issue.  You can tell your personal story of how raw milk has helped you and your family.  Other important points are:
- consumer right to choose
- economic opportunity for NJ farmers
- keep raw milk dollars in NJ

STATUS
The NJ Raw Milk Bill is alive and well in the new legislative session.  It’s being heard in the same committees — the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Economic Growth Committee.  A few members have changed in the committees, and it’s important to reach out to the new members.

The NJ Raw Milk Bill has new numbers this year — A518 in the Assembly and S279 in the Senate.  One bill sponsor retired, otherwise we have the same great group of legislators supporting the bill.

DRIVING, PARKING & BUILDING INFO
Be sure to bring ID such as drivers license so you can get a visitor pass at the guard desk inside the building.

Use this address for online searches because the State House Annex is right across the street:
162 W State St, Trenton NJ 08625

Local directions in Trenton from Rt 29:
- Rt 29 N or S
- Take exit for Calhoun St
(If Rt 29 S, choose ramp for Calhoun toward Capitol Complex)
(If Rt 29 N, choose ramp for Calhoun toward Princeton/New York)
- Hard right at light onto State St
- State House Annex is on right (across from Taylor St)

For more driving directions:
www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/directions.asp

State House Annex:
Between the state library and the state house, directly across the street from 162 State St.
For more help:  (609) 292-4840 www.njleg.state.nj.us

Parking:
www.trentonparking.com

Visitor parking
As soon as you get off the Calhoun exit onto State St, look on the right for the state museum.  Right by the museum there is free visitor parking and there may be a state trouper outside to direct you into the garage, which is connected to the State House Annex.

Street parking
Metered street parking within a half block of the state house is safe.  Requires frequent trips to feed quarters to the meter.  Occasional spots open up during the day.  Farther away is not safe as cars are broken into on a daily basis.

Reasonable parking also available at the
Trenton Marriott Downtown (609) 421-4000
Continue down State St away from Calhoun
R onto Willow/Barrack
then L onto Lafayette
Ask the hotel for directions to the State House Annex.

CARPOOL
Please contact Carol carolrice@optonline.net to offer or request a ride.

MORE INFO
- Sign up at www.foodshedallliance.org
- Garden State Raw Milk on Facebook
- Go to www.gardenstaterawmilk.org
- Join www.westonaprice.org, click “get involved” at the top
- Subscribe to bill alerts at www.njleg.state.nj.us

Dear Weston A. Price Foundation member:

This week, our nutrition education group challenges the FDA’s pursuit of regulations to restrict salt in the American diet. Flawed recommendations stemming from the USDA 2010 USDA dietary guidelines will result in increased food safety risks and harm to human health, WAPF warns. Please help us sound the alarm by sharing these links on social media or by email or sending to your local newspapers. See press release, below. –Kimberly Hartke

URL of Press Release: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=243574

Full Text of Comments:    http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/wapf-comments-fda-salt.pdf

Videos of Press Conference Critique of Salt Recommendations:

FDA Warned on Dangers of Salt Restriction
Weston A. Price Foundation Nutrition Education Non-Profit Files Comments
January 24, 2012–Washington, DC

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) has warned the FDA that plans for salt restriction pose a health threat to Americans of all ages, in comments submitted to the agency yesterday.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation dedicated to accurate scientific information about diet and health. Last year, WAPF led the criticism of USDA 2010 dietary guidelines.

WAPF noted that by entitling their document “ Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption,” the FDA has signaled that it has already  decided that Americans’ sodium consumption should be reduced.  But neither history nor the scientific evidence support this approach.

“A study from 1991 indicates that people need about one and one-half teaspoons of salt per day,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “Anything less triggers a cascade of hormones to recuperate sodium from the waste stream, hormones that make people vulnerable to heart disease and kidney problems. This is proven biochemistry. Yet, FDA as well as USDA want to mandate drastically restricted sodium consumption at about one-half teaspoon per day.”

WAPF testimony noted that salt plays a critical role in body physiology and brain function. In the elderly, lack of salt is associated with increased hip fractures and cognitive decline; low salt diets in growing children predisposes to poor neurological development.

Proposals to restrict salt cite benefits to hypertension.  But only 30 percent of the population experiences a slight reduction in blood pressure on a salt restricted diet, while 70 percent show no benefit.

“These statistics don’t justify a population-wide policy of salt reduction,” says Fallon Morell.

Recent studies show a correlation of salt restriction with increased heart failure and with insulin resistance leading to diabetes.  Studies show that even modest reductions in salt cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher incidence of inflammatory markers and altered lipoproteins are also found by researchers evaluating those on salt reduced diets. These factors are precursors to metabolic syndrome, which predicts heart problems and diabetes.

Both sodium and chloride, the components of salt, are needed for digestion.  These elements form the basis of cellular metabolism and our only source of adequate intake is salt.

The Foundation also cautions the FDA that salt reductions will increase food safety risks. Salt is a traditional food preservation medium with an excellent track record. Artisan cheeses, preserved meats like salami and traditional pickled foods like sauerkraut require salt to prevent contamination by pathogens.

“Our biggest concern is that with FDA dictates against salt, manufacturers will add imitation salt flavors like Senomyx to processed foods,” says Fallon Morell.  “Marketed as a food, so it does not require testing, and added in amounts so small that is does not need to be labeled, this neurotropic compound can interfere with our natural taste for salt, leading to severe deficiencies.  Or, people will become obese as they eat more and more, trying to satisfy the body’s need for salt.”

The Weston A. Price Foundation fully referenced commentary is posted at http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/wapf-comments-fda-salt.pdf.
Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501c3 nutrition education non-profit. www.westonaprice.org