There’s been a push nationwide and here in Nevada to legalize the sale of raw milk. Raw milk proponents claim it is healthier and should be legal for sale. Experts, on the other hand, say raw milk is risky and potentially deadly.
Food advocates typically are not public health experts. Numerous science- and medical-based organizations have issued statements* against consuming raw milk and do not support the sale of raw milk.
The reason is simple: While many anecdotes exist of individuals who have never gotten ill from raw milk (I can count my own experience here, as my mom purchased raw milk from a local ranch when I was a kid), the issue is the increased RISK of illness particularly for the immunocompromised, the elderly and children.
According to a National Institutes of Health public health report: “Raw milk is not subject to (the pasteurization) heating process and, therefore, is more likely to harbor harmful pathogens such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria, all of which would have been killed during pasteurization.”
And, as some states have created legal mechanisms for raw milk sales, so too have there been increased reports of illness caused by raw-milk consumption. According to the CDC:
Within (a) 6-year period, the number of outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk increased. The number of outbreaks caused by Campylobacter spp. nearly doubled. The average number of outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk was 4-fold higher during this 6-year period (average 13.5 outbreaks/year) than that reported in a review of outbreaks during 1993–2006 (3.3 outbreaks/year) (4). This increase was concurrent with a decline in the number of states in which the sale of nonpasteurized milk was illegal, from 28 in 2004 to 20 in 2011 (7–9) and with an increase in the number of states allowing cow-share programs (from 5 in 2004 to 10 in 2008) (8,9). The decision to legalize the sale of nonpasteurized milk or allow limited access through cow-share programs may facilitate consumer access to nonpasteurized milk (5). The higher number of outbreaks in states in which the sale of nonpasteurized milk is legal has been reported elsewhere (4).
The CDC identified that, with reported cases, children are negatively impacted by raw milk consumption. See the chart below for the age breakdown of illnesses by type of bacteria.
One argument for the legal sales of raw milk is consumer focused; consumers, some say, should have the right to consume raw milk and assume the increased risk, similar to eating sushi, which also carries risks to consumers (and which I also avoid). This is a good point, and I generally tend to land on the side of consumer rights.
A counter argument is similar to the required use of seat-belts. For the protection of children, it’s legally required to put infants in baby seats in cars. Not doing so puts the infant at greater risk of injury and death. For adults, using seat belts reduces the severity of injuries. Society as a whole has decided in favor of seat belts and car seats for infants.
Conclusion
Despite the omnipresence of advocacy, particularly on social media, science-based organizations say raw milk is a bad bet. Until the science supports raw milk consumption, experts say that it’s safer to stick with pasteurized milk.
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*These organizations are:
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Association of Public Health Veterinarians (AAPHV)
- American Medical Association
- Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Cornell University Food Science Department
- Dairy Processors of Canada
- Food and Drug Administration
- Health Canada
- International Association for Food Protection (IAFP)
- International Dairy Foods Association & National Milk Producers Federation
- Kentucky Association of Milk, Food, and Environmental Sanitarians
- National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)
- National Mastitis Council (NMC)
- North Carolina Association of Local Heath Directors
- Vermont Veterinary Medical Association
Sources:
- Nevada Department of Agriculture, Raw Milk FAQs
- Consumerist.org, If People Want To Drink Raw Milk, Should Dairy Farmers Be Able To Sell It To Them?
- Centers for Disease Control, Increased Outbreaks Associated with Nonpasteurized Milk, United States, 2007–2012
- US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, “Raw Milk in Court: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice”
- Science-Based Medicine, “Raw Milk in Modern Times”
- American Council on Science and Health, “Raw Milk: To Drink or Not to Drink“
