Infant formula: A Dairy Substitute

A stormy day in Paradise in which the winds are howling;  setting off the dogs to barking and the neighbors to fighting.   But this time it almost seems like the outside storm is creating the inner storms of humans and dogs.  No wonder I like the dawn of a new day, blessed quiet.  No dogs, no humans making noise, just the wind blowing persistently against the house.  Enveloping the house in the breathe of Mother Earth.  Tired, sick, and old she is but she can still howl.  What foolishness we have created by our greed for trinkets and toys.  A throw-away world, a midden of our broken desires.  We are this veiled world of games, and I am oh so tired of it.  I don't know how to play and the only solace seems to be my dream garden.  My little tomato babies sitting next to the dormant broccoli embryos.  I am learning to outwit the raccoons and that little rat possum that think they own the land.  But do I own the land? I pay taxes on that land.  But am I not, the housekeeper of this little plot of land?  Actually I haven't outwitted the raccoons yet nor that little ratty bedraggled possum.  I kinda like having them around, more than I like my neighbors or other people's dogs. I am at the bargaining table and they, arrogant creatures don't even know there is a table.  So who is the fool?  Ah, nothing like an old fool except a young fool.

Well folks lets get to the real story, not my life of baby tomatoes, kale, red sail lettuce, raccoons, possums, wrens, and that cocky blue jay.  Let's talk about this mornings amusing adventure at the US Patent Office.  I found a very interesting patent because it changed my perspective about a product, infant formula.  The patent has nothing to do with human milk which I usually write about.  The patent created this light bulb effect in my brain.  And so I now have a new definition for the product we call infant formula.  And since this is not an original thought, I must give credit where credit is due.   The patent is called, "Manufacturing execution system for use in manufacturing baby formula,"  patent # 8498729 owned by SMP Logic Systems LLC (a drug manufacturing software company).  It is a system which performs validation and quality assurance for baby formula manufacturers to "achieve data and product integrity."    This patent classifies infant formula as a dairy substitute.  People buy dairy substitutes and they are products like imitation cream, coffee whiteners, cheese, and ice cream.  As one definition states these foods are "similar in taste, and texture to genuine dairy products." [my emphasis]  In fact I learned that Dairy Substitutes are made by blending fats, proteins, and carbohydrates using the same technology and equipment used to manufacture real dairy products."  Good to know, good to know.  So infant formula, a dairy substitute, is almost like a real dairy product.  Today I learned something new and just wanted to share it with my readers.  The patent also stated that, "many consumers are under the mistaken impression that the FDA closely and carefully monitors infant formula."

Just the morning coffee news.  Maybe it will startle some people because it is a new perspective and then again maybe I am the only one fascinated by infant formula, the dairy substitute.  Just a quick story about my experience with a cheese substitute (am allergic to dairy but really miss cheese).  I was buying these vegan cheese slices, all wrapped in wonderful plastic wrap.  I went on a road trip--7 days back and forth from Florida to the Boston area to visit relatives.  I put those cheese slices (thinking it would be a good snack) in a soft nylon cooler, along with some ice packs.  I put them in a zippered portion of the cooler and promptly forgot about them.  Ate the fresh cut fruit I brought but totally forgot about those cheese slices.  Got back to Florida emptied the cooler (by then ice packs no longer frozen) but again forgot about the cheese slices.  One week later, I just happened to go through the zippered pockets and lo and behold there was the cheese slices.  No mold!  They looked exactly like they did when I put them in the cooler, only now warm imitation cheese slices.  How do you create a food that doesn't rot?  My parents bought this imitation ice cream.  They gave some to their dog and she didn't want it and it sat out all day (Florida) and it didn't melt.  It didn't melt!!!  Send that stuff to the polar ice caps to save the world from global warming!!  Needless to say my parents quit eating that particular brand of ice cream and I have quit those vegan imitation cheese slices.  So the dairy substitute, infant formula, is fake real food...and we have it because....I know, I know,  women can't or won't breastfeed.  I think I will go outside and play in the garden.
Copyright 2013 Valerie W. McClain