Published: May 29, 2009 10:18 pm      

Letter distorts dairy facts

To the Editor:

I wanted to be sure you were aware that a recent letter to the editor (“Ignoring the Risks Harms Society,” Letters, The Edmond Sun, May 21, 2009) was possibly not an original letter, and is in fact part of a letter writing campaign that just may be against your publication’s editorial policy. This strategy of mass letter-writing has been deemed inappropriate by the journalism community, and has been at times been called “deceptive and akin to plagiarism,” www.thefreelibrary.com. I encourage you to remove this letter from your web site on this basis.

The letter was part of a letter writing campaign by special interest groups that promote a vegan diet, and are linked with an activist group with sights on putting America’s and Oklahoma’s dairy and beef family farms, not to mention pork and poultry farmers, out of business.

The letter is full of inaccuracies and misleading information. The truth is:

• The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid encourage Americans to enjoy three servings of low-fat or fat-free milk or equivalent milk products each day.

• The health benefits of dairy foods have been documented by decades of nutrition research.

• Dairy is doctor recommended.

• People always should look to trained health professionals for nutrition or medical advice on preventing and treating any type of disease.

Link to www.dairyfarmingtoday.org for more information about modern dairy farms and www.nationaldairycouncil.org for information about dairy nutrition.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Susan Allen