Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process that removes disease-causing germs by heating milk to a high enough temperature for a certain length of time. Since the early 1900s, pasteurization has greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses.
Raw, unpasteurized milk and dairy products can be a source of foodborne illness. While good practices on farms can reduce contamination, they cannot guarantee safety from harmful germs. Pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption.
Drinking or eating products made from raw milk can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli.
Symptoms of foodborne illness from raw milk can include severe diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting.
Some groups, such as children under five, adults over 65, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (transplant patients, and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer or diabetes) are at a higher risk of serious illness from these germs. In some cases, more severe outcomes like Guillain-Barré syndrome , or Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome , can occur, potentially leading to paralysis, kidney failure, stroke, or even death.
Federal law prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk across state lines, but individual state laws govern the sale of unpasteurized milk within the state. Of those states that allow intrastate sales, some allow them in retail stores or on the farm where the milk was produced. An increasing number of states also expressly allow the distribution of unpasteurized milk through cow or herd shares. Under these arrangements, an individual purchases an ownership share in a cow or herd and can obtain a portion of the raw milk produced, bypassing state laws that prohibit the retail sale of unpasteurized milk.
Mary McGonigle-Martin talks about her pursuit of a healthier life for her family. When her son was diagnosed with ADD, she knew that part of the equation to help him lay in his diet.
Seeking solutions and information, she remembered reading (years before) that raw milk was somehow healthier than pasteurized milk.
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