By Mia Hanuska
“Living superfood,” “beneficial bacteria,” “superfood.” What are these words describing? Perhaps sauerkraut? Kombucha? Turns out, it’s none of the above. It’s raw milk. Unpasteurized, or raw, milk has become extraordinarily popular among wellness influencers, “crunchy” parents, and, surprisingly, government officials. Cited for lowering rates of asthma, allergies, fevers, and respiratory infections, raw milk has gained supporters oblivious to the countless negative effects of the lack of pasteurization.
But what is pasteurization? Pasteurization is defined by the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) as “the process of heating every particle of milk or milk product […] to one (1) of the temperatures given in the following chart and held continuously at or above that temperature for at least the corresponding specified time” [Figure 1].
Figure 1.
In short, pasteurization is the process of heating milk then rapidly cooling it in order to remove dangerous bacteria. Unlike what many may believe, pasteurization does not involve adding any chemicals or impurities to the milk. Instead, pasteurization simply inactivates the microorganisms that can cause serious health risks.
Salmonella, listeria, E. coli, campylobacter, and brucella all contaminate raw milk, and can originate from cows with systemic diseases or infections, milking equipment, and raw milk tankers. Ingesting milk containing these pathogens can result in symptoms of fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pains, and in extreme cases, death. Although between 2005 and 2016 pasteurized dairy caused more deaths than raw dairy, unpasteurized dairy caused nearly 80% of all dairy-related outbreaks, with 2,415 illnesses and 332 hospitalizations [Figure 2]. Ingesting raw dairy doesn’t only put the consumer at risk though. Illness from E. coli are often contagious and disproportionally affect younger children and those with weakened immune systems. Moreover, the pasteurization process led to the near-eradication of tuberculosis in the United States today, compared to the estimated 10% of tuberculosis cases originating from drinking raw milk in the 1900s. The bacteria in raw milk also decreases the quality of the milk itself, leading to “flavor defects and reduce[d] yields” in milk products, such as cheese.
Figure 2.
Although federally mandatory for the interstate sale of milk in the United States since 1987, pasteurization is not required for the sale of milk in 14 states’ grocery stores, with another 15 states allowing the sale of raw milk on farms [Figure 3]. Recent legislation introduced in states such as Delaware, Iowa, and Louisiana legalizes the sale of raw milk in their states, and it’s become more and more popular to push for the ability to sell unpasteurized milk in the United States.
Figure 3.
Many may argue that many countries in Europe (United Kingdom, France, Italy) allow the selling of raw milk, however, these countries also typically have stricter regulations for the milk. The regulations in the United States vary state to state, but often only require testing of the milk once and adding a warning label. In contrast, the United Kingdom inspects the cattle for tuberculosis and brucellosis and requires twice-annual farm inspections along with a warning on packaging. In France, farms are checked unannounced at least three times a month by State veterinary services and the milk is subjected to at least three rounds of testing. Plus, the European Union also sets regulations for milk, as detailed in Section IX of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.
If the people of the United States want to sell raw milk like Europe, it should begin with mimicking the harsh laws of the European Union in order to make unpasteurized milk safer. Still, no matter how your government regulates raw milk, exercise caution when consuming dairy that has not been pasteurized. Milk is healthy—until it’s not.