Unpasteurized dairy is having a mo(o)ment.
Raw milk has earned quite a bit of buzz in the past month thanks to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has railed against the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of it and is expected to push for federal legalization as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Meet the Raw Milk Super Fans
One of those raw dairy devotees is Lisa Clark, a nutritional therapy practitioner in Texas who started drinking it at age 15.
"I do it for the health benefits; raw milk is teeming with beneficial bioactives, enzymes and probiotics which would be destroyed by pasteurization," she told The Post. She and her husband go through about four gallons per week, drinking it fresh — "it’s so sweet and creamy" — and using it to make homemade kefir.
Annemarie Sullivan, a Texas-based sustainable farmer and raw milk distributor, has also been drinking raw milk since she was a teen.
"I find it to be a great source of balanced energy," she told The Post, adding that others tell her it healed their skin issues and helps with workout recovery. "It provides a much healthier and smoother boost of energy than an energy drink or a coffee."
Pasteurization Out to Pasture?
Clark and Sullivan assert that while pasteurizing made sense a hundred or more years ago, it doesn’t anymore.
"Pasteurization is an 1800s solution to an 1800s problem," Clark said. "We’ve consumed raw milk for thousands of years. It didn’t become an issue until we industrialized and moved cows into confinement with filthy conditions, inappropriate diets and no knowledge of sanitation. Humanity has come a long way since then."
Is Raw Milk Safe? What the Doctors Say
Though Clark and Sullivan have been fortunate enough to not get sick, unpasteurized milk can harbor bacteria that cause common food-borne illnesses such as salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and E. coli.
"There are many risks of consuming raw milk," Dr. Uzma Syed, a board-certified infectious disease specialist and Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told The Post. "Pasteurization has enabled safe consumption of milk for decades."
What’s the Future for Raw Milk?
As of 1973, the federal government has required that all milk sold across state lines be pasteurized.
But RFK Jr., expected to be appointed Health and Human Services Secretary under the new Trump administration, is among the growing contingent of raw milk advocates, proclaiming in 2022 that it’s the only kind he drinks.
Safety First? How the Fans Source Their Milk
Both Clark and Sullivan maintain that caution should be exercised when sourcing and consuming raw dairy.
"To make a blanket statement and say raw milk is risk-free is irresponsible and not true!" Sullivan said. "Like any raw food, raw milk is susceptible to bacterial contamination and holds the potential to make the consumer sick."
Conclusion
Raw milk has been a part of human consumption for thousands of years, and many people swear by its health benefits. However, the risk of bacterial contamination is still present, and pasteurization has been a crucial step in ensuring the safety of milk consumption.
FAQs
Q: Is raw milk safe to consume?
A: No, raw milk can harbor bacteria that cause common food-borne illnesses such as salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and E. coli.
Q: Can I get probiotics from raw milk?
A: No, probiotics are only present in raw milk if there’s something extra mixed in, such as fecal contamination.
Q: How can I source high-quality raw milk?
A: Look for producers who use handwashing before milking or bottling, pre-washing the udders, using an iodine teat dip, and sanitizing the milking equipment with bleach and acid rinse.
Q: Is pasteurization necessary?
A: Yes, pasteurization has enabled safe consumption of milk for decades and has significantly reduced the risk of food-borne illnesses.
Q: Can I still get sick from pasteurized milk?
A: Yes, while pasteurization reduces the risk of food-borne illnesses, it’s not a foolproof method, and there’s still a small risk of getting sick from pasteurized milk.
