My family has been drinking raw milk for over 8 years. I drank raw milk through my entire pregnancy and I have purposely chosen raw milk for my family because of its exceptional health benefits and animal welfare.
Studies performed in Europe have shown that children who drink raw milk have decreased rates of asthma, allergies, eczema, ear infections, fever, and respiratory infections. Nonetheless, when I tell people that my family drinks raw milk, I often hear responses such as:
“Raw milk is dangerous!”
“Doesn’t raw milk make people sick?”
“I heard that raw milk was bad for you.”
The reason for raw milk’s negative reputation is there are two types of raw milk. Raw milk that is intended for pasteurization is quite different than raw milk produced for direct human consumption.
Raw Milk Intended for Pasteurization
Growing up in Western New York, it's fairly common to drive by several dairy farms that produces milk for pasteurization. While driving by, we are struck by the horrendous smell and filthy living conditions. The animal yard is completely covered with manure. The cows have no choice but to lie and stand in manure all day. This is where most store bought, pasteurized milk comes from and most likely why I never really liked milk until our family began drinking raw milk. That smell is something that sticks with you like the smell of a freshly sprayed field with liquid manure.
Raw milk that is “intended for pasteurization” is typically sourced from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). This type of milk is actually defined under the Federal Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). Such milk is being produced in conditions where animal health is often compromised and mastitis (udder infection) is common. Antibiotics are often utilized in these herds, and hormones are used to stimulate higher levels of milk production. The animals are housed in an abundance of manure, and there is a corresponding high rate of pathogens.
This milk is intended to be pasteurized to kill pathogenic bacteria, and as such, it is often produced with little care towards preventing contamination with pathogens.
Furthermore, this type of milk is generally commingled with milk from multiple dairies, which increases the risk of pathogenic exposure. Studies have shown that up to 33% of this type of milk tests positive for pathogens. This type of raw milk is clearly unsafe to consume. I would never feed this type of raw milk to my family.
When Did Pasteurization Start?
In 1908, Chicago became the first US city to introduce cow’s milk pasteurization into municipal law (except for cows that were certified tuberculosis-free). However, it took another 8 years before it was fully adopted in Chicago owing to political wrangling and a debate over “pure milk” (raw milk) versus “purified milk” (pasteurized milk). Around that time, public health officials became greatly worried about the transmission of bovine tuberculosis from cow’s milk to humans. By 1900, it was estimated that as many as 10% of all tuberculosis cases in humans were caused by infection via milk consumption, and in 1910, a tuberculosis epidemic spread through Illinois, infecting over 300 000 cattle.
If we look back to just before World War II, in 1938, it was estimated that milk borne outbreaks constituted 25% of all disease outbreaks (related to food/water) in the United States.
Today, with the widespread use of pasteurization and other sanitation procedures outlined in the PMO, milk and fluid milk products account for less than 1% of reported outbreaks caused by food/water consumption. Today, tuberculosis is a forgotten disease in the United States because of the success of eradication programs and the implementation of milk pasteurization. There is an ongoing popular debate about the risks and potential benefits from the consumption of raw milk. A significant number (3.4%) of US consumers were recently reported to consume raw milk. Testing of herds and having a closed farm for herd health, among other practices help to keep Tuberculosis, Brucellosis(another transferrable to human's disease), Johne's (similar to Crohn's disease and some studies show that this may even be a cause of Crohn's in humans), among other diseases off the farm, but it requires testing and good farming practices to maintain herd health.
Raw Milk Intended for Direct Human Consumption
When my family visits a dairy that produces the raw milk that we feel safe to drink, we see a very different setting from the CAFO dairy. The cows at the raw milk dairy are happily grazing on lush pastures. The cows look clean and healthy. The milk is bottled on-farm, and we can see that the milk bottling room is clean and neat. There is a stark contrast between the CAFO dairy and this raw milk dairy.
Raw milk that is carefully and intentionally produced for direct human consumption is wholly different from raw milk being produced for pasteurization. Raw milk farmers carefully manage the cleanliness and hygiene of the farm from grass-to-glass, with much care to ensure that the animals are healthy and the milk is clean.
From the health of the herd, to cleanliness of the milking parlor, to the specific cleaning processes for the milk line, to ensuring rapid milk chilling, to regularly testing their milk, and everything in between, raw milk farmers are dedicated to taking their farm management to the next level in order to ensure that their raw milk is safe to consume.
Although there are no federal standards for raw milk, there are ways that raw milk farmers can be proactive and diligent to reduce risk of pathogens, increase herd health, and reduce risk of raw milk illnesses.
Where Do Pathogens in Milk Originate?
The four main pathogens in milk that can cause human illness are E coli 0157:H7, listeria mono, salmonella, and campylobacter. The two most common sources of pathogens in milk are manure and mastitis. It is estimated that one-third of CAFO dairy cows have mastitis, and the cows in CAFOs stand and lie in manure all day. Clearly, this type of dairy environment is primed for pathogen growth.
On the other hand, the raw milk dairy environment is carefully managed to prevent pathogens in the milk. These farmers manage the health of their herd to prevent mastitis. They ensure that the milk from any animals that are showing signs of mastitis is not used for direct human consumption. Raw milk farmers meticulously clean the udders before milking to ensure that no manure or other contaminants are present. They also rigorously and frequently clean their milking machines, milk lines, and milk tanks.
Take a look at the milk filters shown below. Even with just a quick look, it is apparent that the milk being produced with the intent to be pasteurized is clearly not clean, whereas the milk filter from the intentionally-produced raw milk looks impeccable. (To be fair, there are some dairy farmers who produce milk for pasteurization that is much more hygienic than most others. However, that milk is still commingled with milk from other dairies, many of which are likely to not use hygienic practices.)
Comparison of Bacterial Test Standards for Two Types of Raw Milk
Okay, I’m gonna get technical here. If reading about standards is not your thing, you can skip ahead to the last section. :)
Two important types of bacterial testing for milk are Standard Plate Count (SPC) and coliform count. The SPC is a measure of the total number of aerobic bacteria in the milk. High SPC numbers can indicate dirty milking equipment, poor milk chilling, and/or poor udder preparation.
Coliform count measures the amount of coliform bacteria present in the milk. Coliform counts measure the overall hygiene and cleanliness of the milk. High coliform counts generally indicate the presence of manure or other environmental contaminants on the udders or milking equipment. High coliform counts are likely to correspond to the presence of pathogens in the milk.
According to the PMO, pre-pasteurized milk is allowed to have up to 100,000 colony-forming units (cfu) of bacteria per mL in SPC testing. The PMO does not have a standard for how many coliforms are allowed in pre-pasteurized milk, but the state of California allows coliforms up to 750 cfu/mL of milk.
In comparison, our family calls for <5,000 cfu/mL for SPC testing, and <10 cfu/mL in coliform testing for raw milk we consume and is completely attainable in a clean dairy. As you can see, intentionally-produced raw milk is measurably quite different from pre-pasteurized raw milk, and even meets stricter standards than pasteurized milk.
According to the Raw Milk Institute they have been collecting monthly Standard Plate Count and Coliform Count data from its LISTED raw milk dairies since 2012. This dataset of thousands of test results shows that raw milk farmers who have been properly trained can routinely meet the stringent standards set forth in the Common Standards.
Research on Raw Milk Safety
Researchers from Canada and Europe have studied the safety of raw milk intended for direct human consumption. They have found that carefully produced raw milk is a low-risk food which is fundamentally different from pre-pasteurized milk.
The table below contrasts pathogen test data from pre-pasteurized milk vs. raw milk intended for direct human consumption. As illustrated in the table, pathogen testing of pre-pasteurized milk samples has detected pathogens in up to 33% of samples. In contrast, there were zero pathogens detected in thousands of milk samples from raw milk intended for direct human consumption. It is clear from this test data that pre-pasteurized milk is categorically different from raw milk intended for direct human consumption.
Data courtesy of the British Columbia Herdshare Association
Not All Raw Milk Is Dangerous!
It is clear that raw milk produced with the intention to be pasteurized is likely to contain dangerous pathogens. This type of raw milk is unsafe, and I would never feed it to my family. Unfortunately, this type of raw milk’s negative reputation has led many to believe that all raw milk is unsafe to consume.
It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfectly safe food. An analysis of foodborne illnesses from 2009-2015 showed that the top food categories commonly linked to illnesses were chicken, pork, and seeded vegetables. Pasteurized milk is not perfectly safe, either, and is implicated in foodborne illnesses and outbreaks every year. The CDC outbreak and illness data which is used to assert that raw milk is unsafe does not distinguish raw milk intended for pasteurization from raw milk that is carefully produced and intended for direct human consumption.
It is clear from the above-presented test data that intentionally-produced raw milk is a low-risk food. In my family, we purposely choose raw milk for its superior nutrition and significant health benefits over pasteurized milk. Raw milk contains greater bioavailable nutrients than pasteurized milk, as well as a wide array of beneficial enzymes and probiotics which are known to have benefits on the immune system and gastrointestinal tract.
How to Find A Good Raw Milk Dairy Farmer
Choosing raw milk for your family is a great choice and that's exactly what it should be, a personal, educated, consumer choice. In a world where cigarette's, tobacco, and alcohol are legal, why is raw milk so taboo? Consumer choice is about being able to make an informed and educated decision for yourself. In Tennessee, retail sale of raw milk is not legal, but you may purchase a herd share meaning you "own" part of the cow and pay the farmer to board, keep, maintain and milk your cow for you.
Questions to ask the farmer before making your purchase:
What kind of cows do you raise? Are the A2A2 confirmed? (This is important for trying to reduce milk allergies through raw milk)
Where do your cows spend most of their days?
Is your herd disease tested? For what? How often?
Do you vaccinate your cows? For what? (We personally don't vaccinate, but this is a personal choice and you should make an educated decision as to whether or not you feel comfortable buying milk from vaccinated or unvaccinated cows)
How are your pastures maintained? Do you spray pesticides, herbicides or insecticides? If so, what ones? (Think glyphosate) Do you purchase hay off of the farm? Does that farm spray their fields with pesticides, herbicides or insecticides? (spraying fertilizer or minerals does not mean it's bad, ask what they spray and research, how soon after are the cows on the pasture after it)
Where are they milked? Can you see where they are milked? (Be accepting of pictures, on farm visits are hard on working farms. We are busy and while we would LOVE to make time to give tours to every one that asks at the drop of a hat, farms are also dangerous with large animals and machinery that can be fatal to someone not familiar with safety standards)
How are they milked? What is the process for cleaning their udders and teats?
Have your cows ever had mastitis? How often? How was it treated?
Do you hand milk or machine milk? (Hand milking exposes milk to airborne pathogens including dirt and feces floating in the air- while it's not 100% risk of contamination, it does increase the risk)
How is your milk chilled? Milk should be chilled to less than 40 degrees in less than 2 hours to prevent doubling of bacteria. If they don't know how long it takes for their milk to reach 40 degrees, I personally would steer clear.
How is your milk bottled? Do they strain it? How are their bottles sanitized? Are they glass or plastic? Where is your milk bottled? Can you see the milk room where it's bottled?
Do you test your milk? How often? What do you test for? Can you see the test results? (If no, I would use extreme caution. Testing of milk once a month is truly not that invasive for a farmers and costs approximately $50-$60 for testing. Farmers should include this in their total cost to account for safe practices and milk. Again, many people consume milk without asking all of these questions and never get sick.)
As you can see, buying raw milk shouldn't come loosely in my opinion. It SHOULD be a consumer's choice and consumer's should make educated decisions. Not all farms are created equal.
Stay tuned as we have an announcement to make very shortly about what will be joining our farm. Hint, hint it may be VERY related to this article!
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