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Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood
Why is cows’ milk, which few nonwhite people can digest, promoted as a science-backed dietary necessity in countries where the majority of the population is lactose-intolerant? Why are gigantic new dairy farms permitted to deplete the sparse water resources of desert ecosystems? Why do thousands of U.S. dairy farmers every year give up after struggling to recoup production costs against plummeting wholesale prices?
Exploring these questions and many more, Spoiled is an unflinching and meticulous critique of the glorification of fluid milk and its alleged universal benefits. Anne Mendelson’s groundbreaking book chronicles the story of milk from the Stone Age peoples who first domesticated cows, goats, and sheep to today’s troubled dairy industry. Spoiled shows that drinking fresh milk was rare until Western scientific experts who were unaware of genetic differences in the ability to digest lactose deemed it superior to traditional fermented dairy products. Their flawed beliefs fueled the growth of a massive and environmentally devastating industry that turned milk into a cheap, ubiquitous commodity.
Mendelson’s wide-ranging account also examines the consequences of homogenization and refrigeration technologies, the toll that modern farming takes on dairy cows, and changing perceptions of raw milk since the advent of pasteurization. Unraveling the myths and misconceptions that prop up the dairy industry, Spoiled calls for more sustainable, healthful futures in our relationship with milk and the animals that provide it.
Exploring these questions and many more, Spoiled is an unflinching and meticulous critique of the glorification of fluid milk and its alleged universal benefits. Anne Mendelson’s groundbreaking book chronicles the story of milk from the Stone Age peoples who first domesticated cows, goats, and sheep to today’s troubled dairy industry. Spoiled shows that drinking fresh milk was rare until Western scientific experts who were unaware of genetic differences in the ability to digest lactose deemed it superior to traditional fermented dairy products. Their flawed beliefs fueled the growth of a massive and environmentally devastating industry that turned milk into a cheap, ubiquitous commodity.
Mendelson’s wide-ranging account also examines the consequences of homogenization and refrigeration technologies, the toll that modern farming takes on dairy cows, and changing perceptions of raw milk since the advent of pasteurization. Unraveling the myths and misconceptions that prop up the dairy industry, Spoiled calls for more sustainable, healthful futures in our relationship with milk and the animals that provide it.
523 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2023
7 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 28, 2022
I honestly never knew how much I didn't know about milk. This was a lot more intense than I expected. As a millennial who grew up in the "got milk?" era, I've always been interested in Big Milk and who decided it was so good for us to have 3 glasses a day.
If you want to learn everything about milk, condensed(pun intended) into one book, this is for you!
My stomach grumbles just thinking about all that milk.
If you want to learn everything about milk, condensed(pun intended) into one book, this is for you!
My stomach grumbles just thinking about all that milk.
June 25, 2023
Great read about the origins of milk and how it's currently consumed. It's seen as a superfood that's needed for healthy growth, but if you really think about it, it's weird we drink another mammal's breast milk. I don't drink milk myself, but I really learned a lot about it from this book. It's quite extensive, no casual read. But it's well written and entertaining.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read!
November 10, 2022
Read via NetGalley.
This is an angry book.
I'm not saying that's a bad thing, or that the anger is unjustified. Just that Mendelson doesn't make much effort to hide the fact that a lot about Big Dairy in America makes her angry, and that the appalling lack of science around the claims for milk make her angry, and that the fact drinking milk is pushed as some mighty panacea when actually the ability to digest cow's milk as an adult human is largely restricted to humans descended from north-west Europeans... that makes her angry, too.
Some of the most crucial sentences for understanding the point of the book comes early on: "... the founders of modern Western medicine had no way of understanding the genetic fluke that allowed them... to digest lactose from babyhood to old age... That lack turned the one form of milk that is most fragile, perishable, difficult to produce on a commercial scale, and economically pitfall-strewn into a supposed daily necessity for children and, to a lesser extent, adults."
Yeah.
The section I most enjoyed for itself was the first part, where Mendelson looks at the long history of dairying, and in particular points out that drinking "fresh" milk (which is a whole other discussion of terminology, given what happens to milk in most Western countries today) wasn't something early herders did. Instead, they were using fermented milk - naturally fermented, from being left out in the heat. She goes through the science of what's actually happening in this fermentation, discussing why the bacteria in the milk doing all of this doesn't poison human consumers of such milk. There's also a really interesting discussion about the archaeology and other evidence for dairying of various forms in numerous locations.
Science is a fairly big part of the book, which I also enjoyed. There's a lot about what's in milk of various types, and why, as well as how that's connected to the digestive system of the various animals that humans choose to milk. Plus the discussion about how limited the ability to actually properly digest full-lactose drinking-milk is, among the adult human population. If you can digest milk as an adult, it's you that's the genetic mutation, not everyone else. Doesn't that make all the soy milk etc-haters look like numpties.
The angry-making bit really starts when the discussion turns to the 18th century in Europe, and the way that 'drinking fresh milk' suddenly became imperative for children, in particular, and the idea that if children were denied all the milk they could possibly consume then somehow society was failing them. All of which is nonsense since... see above. And then, of course, it gets into how the industry makes claims, and medical types get on board, and honestly it just makes me really sad and horrified to see how outlandish claims based on 'science' (sometimes) that has now been superseded, or sometimes just based on a desire to make money, is still having a massive impact on how we think and act today.
Also? this insistence on drinking-milk all came as a) more people were living in towns and b) before good refrigeration and c) before adequate food-safety measures like pasteurisation (which gets a whole section here, because of the raw food movement) were in place. All of which meant a bunch of kids, in particular, actually got sick and many of them died because of the milk they were told they needed to consume in order to be healthy.
One of the reasons for the angry nature of the book is its focus on the modern American dairy industry. I'm not going to claim that the Australian industry is immensely better, because I don't know all that much about it, but I do know that we do things a bit differently. And then there's the way in which drinking-milk is still being pushed as necessary... to populations that are, overwhelmingly, unable to digest full-lactose milk as adults. I think that's just appalling.
Don't read this as a fun history or science of milk. Do read it if you're interested in how drinking-milk got to be the thing it is today - which is genuinely fascinating, as well as infuriating. There's discussion of Kellogg's, and milk-drinking cults, and the furore around pasteurisation and homogenisation, and the raw milk fad as well...
This is an angry book.
I'm not saying that's a bad thing, or that the anger is unjustified. Just that Mendelson doesn't make much effort to hide the fact that a lot about Big Dairy in America makes her angry, and that the appalling lack of science around the claims for milk make her angry, and that the fact drinking milk is pushed as some mighty panacea when actually the ability to digest cow's milk as an adult human is largely restricted to humans descended from north-west Europeans... that makes her angry, too.
Some of the most crucial sentences for understanding the point of the book comes early on: "... the founders of modern Western medicine had no way of understanding the genetic fluke that allowed them... to digest lactose from babyhood to old age... That lack turned the one form of milk that is most fragile, perishable, difficult to produce on a commercial scale, and economically pitfall-strewn into a supposed daily necessity for children and, to a lesser extent, adults."
Yeah.
The section I most enjoyed for itself was the first part, where Mendelson looks at the long history of dairying, and in particular points out that drinking "fresh" milk (which is a whole other discussion of terminology, given what happens to milk in most Western countries today) wasn't something early herders did. Instead, they were using fermented milk - naturally fermented, from being left out in the heat. She goes through the science of what's actually happening in this fermentation, discussing why the bacteria in the milk doing all of this doesn't poison human consumers of such milk. There's also a really interesting discussion about the archaeology and other evidence for dairying of various forms in numerous locations.
Science is a fairly big part of the book, which I also enjoyed. There's a lot about what's in milk of various types, and why, as well as how that's connected to the digestive system of the various animals that humans choose to milk. Plus the discussion about how limited the ability to actually properly digest full-lactose drinking-milk is, among the adult human population. If you can digest milk as an adult, it's you that's the genetic mutation, not everyone else. Doesn't that make all the soy milk etc-haters look like numpties.
The angry-making bit really starts when the discussion turns to the 18th century in Europe, and the way that 'drinking fresh milk' suddenly became imperative for children, in particular, and the idea that if children were denied all the milk they could possibly consume then somehow society was failing them. All of which is nonsense since... see above. And then, of course, it gets into how the industry makes claims, and medical types get on board, and honestly it just makes me really sad and horrified to see how outlandish claims based on 'science' (sometimes) that has now been superseded, or sometimes just based on a desire to make money, is still having a massive impact on how we think and act today.
Also? this insistence on drinking-milk all came as a) more people were living in towns and b) before good refrigeration and c) before adequate food-safety measures like pasteurisation (which gets a whole section here, because of the raw food movement) were in place. All of which meant a bunch of kids, in particular, actually got sick and many of them died because of the milk they were told they needed to consume in order to be healthy.
One of the reasons for the angry nature of the book is its focus on the modern American dairy industry. I'm not going to claim that the Australian industry is immensely better, because I don't know all that much about it, but I do know that we do things a bit differently. And then there's the way in which drinking-milk is still being pushed as necessary... to populations that are, overwhelmingly, unable to digest full-lactose milk as adults. I think that's just appalling.
Don't read this as a fun history or science of milk. Do read it if you're interested in how drinking-milk got to be the thing it is today - which is genuinely fascinating, as well as infuriating. There's discussion of Kellogg's, and milk-drinking cults, and the furore around pasteurisation and homogenisation, and the raw milk fad as well...
November 24, 2023
Spoiled was such a great read! I don't have much to say about it; it delivers on its promise to offer a comprehensive look at the history of fresh drinking milk from cows. The first half of the book places a heavy historical emphasis on the practice of dairying across the globe, which I greatly appreciated. Spoiled paints a broader picture of dairying, offering the reader a more objective perspective on the milk industry than the one that most of us have become accustomed to. Regardless, I found the lengthy chapters on the raw vs. pasteurized milk debate a little tedious to get through, albeit probably necessary. The second half of the book, which focuses on the political debates and implications of our contemporary milk industry, was absolutely fascinating. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book! But I've also become such a nonfiction nut over the course of the past year so my book tastes and preferences have definitely skewed towards these historical and political deep dives.
June 12, 2024
Subject matter: 5
Writing: 2
Writing: 2
November 2, 2023
This book critically reevaluates the cultural, nutritional, and ethical aspects of milk consumption.
Milk, a dietary staple for nearly 9,000 years, now faces scrutiny for its potential threats to both health and ethics in modern society. In this review, we explore Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood by Anne Mendelson, a book that tackles these pressing issues. Mendelson’s work delves into the history, science, and cultural aspects of milk consumption, shedding light on the biological realities, ethical dilemmas, and emerging alternatives challenging its traditional status.
Author’s background
Anne Mendelson is an American food writer and culinary historian. She credits the diverse array of ethnic cuisines in her local community and her recollections of growing up in rural Pennsylvania as influential sources of inspiration for her literary work.
What is the book about?
Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood by Anne Mendelson challenges the widely held belief in the nutritional superiority of drinking milk, particularly cow’s milk. The book explores the history, science, and cultural aspects of milk consumption, shedding light on its complexities and debunking the myth of milk as a superfood.
Structured into 11 chapters, the book covers the following topics:
• The difficulties and costs of getting milk from its source to the consumer’s table.
• The historical importance of milk in different cultures.
• The scientific characteristics of milk and its nutritional value.
• Problems with digesting milk due to lactose intolerance and how it challenges the idea that everyone can easily digest it.
• Genes that determine if people can digest lactose and how common this ability is in different groups.
• Discomfort experienced by nonwhite people when they drink fresh milk and the idea that everyone should drink it.
• Sustainability and economic challenges faced by the drinking milk industry, including issues related to milk’s perishability and the struggles of small-scale dairy farmers
Three key takeaways from Spoiled
1. Biological realities and lactose intolerance
Mendelson’s exploration of lactose intolerance’s biological realities effectively dismantles the prevailing myth of milk as a universally beneficial superfood. She highlights the substantial portion of the global population that experiences digestive discomfort from cow’s milk due to lactose intolerance. Mendelson delves into the intricate science behind milk’s fermentation process and the biochemistry of dairy, revealing the complexities that challenge the notion of milk as a one-size-fits-all dietary solution.
In this context, Mendelson introduces the story of Dr. George Cheyne, a charismatic advocate of milk consumption as a remedy for nervous disorders during the 18th century. However, her narrative also underscores that not everyone tolerated milk well, resulting in a range of health outcomes, some of which were adverse.
2. Ethical dimensions of milk production
In the pursuit of higher milk production, the dairy industry has subjected cows, particularly Holsteins, to a horrifying decline in life expectancy. From artificial insemination to genetically modified hormones, the industry has pushed these animals to their biological limits. The ethical implications of this relentless quest for efficiency have raised concerns about the well-being of dairy cows.
Moreover, the industry’s emphasis on monoculture breeds like Holsteins has led to genetic bottlenecks and a loss of biodiversity. As mega-dairies continue to dominate, these issues persist, and the global push for milk production often disregards the welfare of both cows and the environment. Ultimately, it’s a stark reminder of the ethical and environmental costs associated with dairy production, as thousands of lives are sacrificed for the pursuit of more milk.
3. Diversity in milk consumption
The book highlights the changing landscape of dairy consumption, with increasing competition from various plant-based milk products challenging the hegemony of cow’s milk. These alternatives, driven by cultural preferences, offer a fresh perspective on what milk should entail, steering away from standardised, featureless cow’s milk. Moreover, concerns about the treatment of dairy animals, the dysfunctional government price-support system, and the overselling of drinking milk’s nutritional benefits contribute to questioning the status quo.
In this context, the book advocates for more realistic and global perspectives on milk consumption. It suggests that rather than promoting an ethnocentric view of milk consumption, we should embrace learning opportunities from cultures that have never consumed unfermented milk. The book acknowledges the changing demographics of the United States, where adult lactase persistence is becoming a minority condition due to increased immigration from regions where it’s less prevalent.
Strengths and weaknesses, according to readers’ reviews
Strengths:
• Provides an in-depth exploration of the origins and consumption of milk, offering a wealth of information for readers interested in a thorough examination of the topic.
• Offers a critical perspective on the dairy industry, including discussions on the questionable health claims associated with milk consumption and the historical context of these claims.
• The book is well-written and entertaining, making it engaging for readers who may not have an existing interest in the subject.
Weaknesses:
• Some readers may find the book overwhelming due to its excessive amount of detail and information, potentially making it difficult to digest and leading to a feeling of information overload.
Best quotes from Spoiled
“The rise of pediatrics as a specialty occurred just as most nations of the industrialized West were noting a steep decline in breastfeeding. This puzzling phenomenon cut across class lines and was anxiously discussed in conjunction with another source of bafflement, a general decrease in birth rates. The still-disputed reasons for the joint decreases are outside the scope of this book. What is certain is that fewer and fewer women nursed their babies. Working mothers – a mounting and generally hard-up category in cities – did not have the time to do so. Poor and well-off women alike often reported having insufficient breast milk. In another significant shift, it became common to wean children at six months or even younger, rather than a year or more.”
“Public health authorities were thus appalled to realize that untrained dealers were eagerly importing Danish pasteurizers and processing milk through them with the aim of getting sloppily handled or aging milk to pass as raw before it could go bad – i.e., sour. (Others held off souring with such additives as borax, salicylic acid, and formaldehyde.) In a retrospective several decades later, the eminent public health officer Charles E. North wrote that this unauthorized hocussing had been ‘practised in secret and the milk marketed without any label” to record that it had been done because of “the strong sentiment against pasteurization by the dealer.’”
“From the agricultural college witnesses’ estimates, the committee concluded that in ten-cow herds the cost to the farmer of producing one quart of milk from a cow capable of only 4,500 pounds a year was 7.02 cents. That figure fell to 4.74 cents for a cow who could yield at least 7,500 pounds. Unfortunately, most New York State farm producers still ignored cow testing. They also disregarded the experts’ arguments that small herds of seven or ten cows were far less efficient than large ones of fifty or sixty. The committee calculated the difference at almost 2 cents a quart.”
Final takeaway
Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood by Anne Mendelson is a thought-provoking exploration of the complexities surrounding milk consumption. It challenges conventional beliefs about milk’s nutritional benefits, shedding light on the biological realities of lactose intolerance and the ethical dimensions of milk production. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deep dive into the history, science, and cultural aspects of milk consumption, as well as anyone interested in the ethical and environmental considerations associated with the dairy industry.
Milk, a dietary staple for nearly 9,000 years, now faces scrutiny for its potential threats to both health and ethics in modern society. In this review, we explore Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood by Anne Mendelson, a book that tackles these pressing issues. Mendelson’s work delves into the history, science, and cultural aspects of milk consumption, shedding light on the biological realities, ethical dilemmas, and emerging alternatives challenging its traditional status.
Author’s background
Anne Mendelson is an American food writer and culinary historian. She credits the diverse array of ethnic cuisines in her local community and her recollections of growing up in rural Pennsylvania as influential sources of inspiration for her literary work.
What is the book about?
Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood by Anne Mendelson challenges the widely held belief in the nutritional superiority of drinking milk, particularly cow’s milk. The book explores the history, science, and cultural aspects of milk consumption, shedding light on its complexities and debunking the myth of milk as a superfood.
Structured into 11 chapters, the book covers the following topics:
• The difficulties and costs of getting milk from its source to the consumer’s table.
• The historical importance of milk in different cultures.
• The scientific characteristics of milk and its nutritional value.
• Problems with digesting milk due to lactose intolerance and how it challenges the idea that everyone can easily digest it.
• Genes that determine if people can digest lactose and how common this ability is in different groups.
• Discomfort experienced by nonwhite people when they drink fresh milk and the idea that everyone should drink it.
• Sustainability and economic challenges faced by the drinking milk industry, including issues related to milk’s perishability and the struggles of small-scale dairy farmers
Three key takeaways from Spoiled
1. Biological realities and lactose intolerance
Mendelson’s exploration of lactose intolerance’s biological realities effectively dismantles the prevailing myth of milk as a universally beneficial superfood. She highlights the substantial portion of the global population that experiences digestive discomfort from cow’s milk due to lactose intolerance. Mendelson delves into the intricate science behind milk’s fermentation process and the biochemistry of dairy, revealing the complexities that challenge the notion of milk as a one-size-fits-all dietary solution.
In this context, Mendelson introduces the story of Dr. George Cheyne, a charismatic advocate of milk consumption as a remedy for nervous disorders during the 18th century. However, her narrative also underscores that not everyone tolerated milk well, resulting in a range of health outcomes, some of which were adverse.
2. Ethical dimensions of milk production
In the pursuit of higher milk production, the dairy industry has subjected cows, particularly Holsteins, to a horrifying decline in life expectancy. From artificial insemination to genetically modified hormones, the industry has pushed these animals to their biological limits. The ethical implications of this relentless quest for efficiency have raised concerns about the well-being of dairy cows.
Moreover, the industry’s emphasis on monoculture breeds like Holsteins has led to genetic bottlenecks and a loss of biodiversity. As mega-dairies continue to dominate, these issues persist, and the global push for milk production often disregards the welfare of both cows and the environment. Ultimately, it’s a stark reminder of the ethical and environmental costs associated with dairy production, as thousands of lives are sacrificed for the pursuit of more milk.
3. Diversity in milk consumption
The book highlights the changing landscape of dairy consumption, with increasing competition from various plant-based milk products challenging the hegemony of cow’s milk. These alternatives, driven by cultural preferences, offer a fresh perspective on what milk should entail, steering away from standardised, featureless cow’s milk. Moreover, concerns about the treatment of dairy animals, the dysfunctional government price-support system, and the overselling of drinking milk’s nutritional benefits contribute to questioning the status quo.
In this context, the book advocates for more realistic and global perspectives on milk consumption. It suggests that rather than promoting an ethnocentric view of milk consumption, we should embrace learning opportunities from cultures that have never consumed unfermented milk. The book acknowledges the changing demographics of the United States, where adult lactase persistence is becoming a minority condition due to increased immigration from regions where it’s less prevalent.
Strengths and weaknesses, according to readers’ reviews
Strengths:
• Provides an in-depth exploration of the origins and consumption of milk, offering a wealth of information for readers interested in a thorough examination of the topic.
• Offers a critical perspective on the dairy industry, including discussions on the questionable health claims associated with milk consumption and the historical context of these claims.
• The book is well-written and entertaining, making it engaging for readers who may not have an existing interest in the subject.
Weaknesses:
• Some readers may find the book overwhelming due to its excessive amount of detail and information, potentially making it difficult to digest and leading to a feeling of information overload.
Best quotes from Spoiled
“The rise of pediatrics as a specialty occurred just as most nations of the industrialized West were noting a steep decline in breastfeeding. This puzzling phenomenon cut across class lines and was anxiously discussed in conjunction with another source of bafflement, a general decrease in birth rates. The still-disputed reasons for the joint decreases are outside the scope of this book. What is certain is that fewer and fewer women nursed their babies. Working mothers – a mounting and generally hard-up category in cities – did not have the time to do so. Poor and well-off women alike often reported having insufficient breast milk. In another significant shift, it became common to wean children at six months or even younger, rather than a year or more.”
“Public health authorities were thus appalled to realize that untrained dealers were eagerly importing Danish pasteurizers and processing milk through them with the aim of getting sloppily handled or aging milk to pass as raw before it could go bad – i.e., sour. (Others held off souring with such additives as borax, salicylic acid, and formaldehyde.) In a retrospective several decades later, the eminent public health officer Charles E. North wrote that this unauthorized hocussing had been ‘practised in secret and the milk marketed without any label” to record that it had been done because of “the strong sentiment against pasteurization by the dealer.’”
“From the agricultural college witnesses’ estimates, the committee concluded that in ten-cow herds the cost to the farmer of producing one quart of milk from a cow capable of only 4,500 pounds a year was 7.02 cents. That figure fell to 4.74 cents for a cow who could yield at least 7,500 pounds. Unfortunately, most New York State farm producers still ignored cow testing. They also disregarded the experts’ arguments that small herds of seven or ten cows were far less efficient than large ones of fifty or sixty. The committee calculated the difference at almost 2 cents a quart.”
Final takeaway
Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood by Anne Mendelson is a thought-provoking exploration of the complexities surrounding milk consumption. It challenges conventional beliefs about milk’s nutritional benefits, shedding light on the biological realities of lactose intolerance and the ethical dimensions of milk production. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deep dive into the history, science, and cultural aspects of milk consumption, as well as anyone interested in the ethical and environmental considerations associated with the dairy industry.
December 2, 2022
A good story lost in too many facts. I now know more about the fight over milk than anyone should know and that's not a good thing. Ms. Mendelson dives deep, too deep, in her attempt to prove that drinking unfermented, raw milk was not only introduced to a purely white, western European audience but the health claims involved were not true. I found myself trying to digest (pun intended) all of the policy decisions and laws involved that I became lactose intolerant to this book. A more concise history would have better served her ideas and i hope that before publication some edits are made that, while still highlighting the history, do not make the reader feel as though they are gassy from too much Dairy-knowledge.
September 30, 2025
Solid historical work. The writing style is a bit of a distraction – the author has a lot of purple prose to get out of her system, and she has such passionately strong opinions about her subject that it's distracting – but despite these flaws it succeeded in changing my mind on a moderately-strongly held opinion.
on-hold
April 18, 2023I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
August 12, 2023
My review of this book for The Folklore Podcast will be available soon - I'll update with a link to it as soon as it's live.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews