The question I get asked more than anything else is “is raw milk really safe?”
I have been procrastinating about addressing this topic publicly because frankly, I am utterly (udderly?) perplexed by this issue.
I know some would say I am over-thinking it, and perhaps I am. After all, over thinking is one of my greatest talents. But the raw milk question is one that has perplexed many, and I believe it is one worth careful consideration.
My opinion on the safety of raw milk changes more often than my 4-year-old changes her outfits, so I am always hesitant to place myself firmly in one camp or the other because my opinion (and consumption) is subject to change at any time.
I’m currently reading The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid, which is thoroughly fascinating and eye opening, and at the moment, my right foot is in the raw milk camp and my left foot is squarely on the line. I drink raw milk exclusively because I am lactose intolerant, and my stomach cannot handle pasteurized milk. (And it tastes so darn good.) My husband drinks it, and we give it to our kids with a bit of trepidation, although the more I read on the subject, the more confident I am that, as long as you have a good clean source, it’s as safe as eating any raw food. I mean, spinach, anyone?
So what’s the big fat hairy deal?
The advocates of raw milk would have you believe the following:
1) “Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a complete and properly balanced food. You could live on it exclusively if you had to. Indeed, published accounts exist of people who have done just that.”
2) Raw milk contains important enzymes that aid in assimilating the nutrients present in milk.
3) Raw milk is one of the best sources of calcium.
4) Raw milk contains beneficial bacteria that is destroyed when it is pasteurized.
5) Children who drink raw milk have a lower incidence of asthma and allergies.
This article from NaturalNews.com succinctly sums up the issue from a raw milk advocate’s perspective.
But isn’t it dangerous?
Others argue that even if raw milk does contain those benefits (and most doubt that it does), it is still not worth the very small yet very real risk of contracting E. coli and possibly winding up with terminal kidney damage.
So why would you risk it?
After this WSJ article came out citing a case where a woman became very ill after drinking raw milk from Whole Foods, I emailed my primary source for raw milk, the owner of Wholesome Dairy Farms, and asked for his take on the issue. (I am quoting him with his permission; the emphasis is mine.)
Raw milk is much like any other raw food like vegetables and fruits, etc. Cleanliness is key. I cannot vouch for any one else’s dairy but my own, and if a raw milk producer is sloppy, the milk is high risk. It is that simple. This is not a matter of raw versus pasteurized in my view, rather it is a matter of clean versus contaminated.
The state of Pennsylvania allows 10 CFUs (colony forming units) of coliform bacteria in my biweekly sample test. I routinely have a “less than detectable threshold” result. It can’t get cleaner. This is because of the meticulous care that we put into our cow cleanliness and udder prep procedures. It takes more time and I use more expensive ingredients for udder prep, but it is worth it. The payoff for cleanliness goes beyond safety. The shelf life is also extended and the milk tastes better.
What the WSJ article does not say is that there is no legal limit on the number of coliform bacteria in milk that gets pasteurized. The rationale is that since the milk gets cooked, the coliform bacteria are dead and cannot secrete toxins, thus the milk is safe. Coliform bacteria are fecal bacteria. So the pasteurized milk that people drink has no limit on the amount of manure contamination, but since it is cooked manure, it is considered to be okay. I think this is wrong headed. As a dairy veterinarian I have seen the amount of manure that can end up in the milking system when pasteurized milk is made. It is foul. There are also many dairies that are committed to making a good product and they make clean milk. But all the milk gets blended, so the milk is only as good as the worst dairy putting milk into the tank because it all gets mixed together. When you drink pasteurized milk, you drink everyone’s milk.
Further, coliform bacteria are potentially toxic even after pasteurization. No one ever says anything about this for some reason. All gram negative bacteria (the group to which coliform bacteria belong) have a lipopolysaccharide shell that can induce inflammation and even fever. This lipopolysaccharide survives pasteurization, and even survives boiling for 30 minutes. I think this element in the milk is why some people think that they are lactose intolerant and it may even be a contributor to Crohn’s disease.
In short, there is more to the story than the reports of illnesses that come out of the CDC and the FDA. I think that these people are dedicated to public service and that they know what they are talking about. They also happen to be wrong on this issue when it comes to the safety of pasteurized milk and the uniform riskiness of raw milk.
Thanks for the opportunity to address this issue.
As an aside, it’s important to note that you can get pasteurized milk from local farms that do not combine their milk with milk from other farms. We have several local dairies in our area that sell only their milk. Whether they are grass-fed and organic or not varies.
Where did it all begin?
The other thing that I find very interesting and worth noting is that at the turn of the 20th century, when the pasteurization of milk became widespread, cities were growing rapidly, so to keep up with the increasing demand for milk, cows began being housed next to distilleries and were fed the waste from the whiskey making. (CAN YOU IMAGINE?) This was a new phenomenon — a way to deal with the waste from the distilleries and also a way to bring the source of milk closer to the cities. Distillery cows lived in unsanitary conditions, and the workers who milked the cows were not sanitary either. That was the milk that was making people sick, not the milk from fresh pasture-raised cows.
At the time, there were two responses to this milk problem:
1) pasteurization
2) certification of clean raw milk
“From about 1910 until the 1940s, an uneasy truce existed. Certified raw milk was available for those who wanted it, while the influence of the pasteurization lobby saw to it that most states and municipalities adopted regulations that required all milk other than certified milk be pasteurized.”
[source]
This article on RawMilkFacts.com is a great summary of the history of milk.
As you can see, this is an issue which is not new to our time.
It important to note that raw milk advocates are not trying to eliminate pasteurized milk. They simply want the freedom to choose raw milk for themselves. Why can’t both options coexist peacefully?
What about homogenization?
Homogenization is another sticky wicket. Katie has done far more research into the subject than I, and you can read her post, The Real Story of Homogenized Milk, Powdered Milk, Skim Milk and Oxidized Cholesterol, to find out more.
And while you’re there, she has a plethora of fabulous articles on raw milk (both pro and con and some seeking balance) on her post, Monday Mission: Examine Your Milk Source. I just sat here and read at least half of them.
Wrapping It Up
One thing is for sure, raw milk consumption is on the rise. If there is anything in this debate of which I am unequivocally convinced, it is that cows were not meant to be grain fed. They were designed (or they evolved, depending on your view) to eat grass. Forcing them to eat grain makes them sick. And sick cows do not produce healthy milk.
Therefore, pasteurized or not, we only buy milk from local dairies that raise their cows on grass and don’t use antibiotics or growth hormones. I realize that depending on where you live, this can be easier said than done, but it’s worth looking into. Also, specialty health food stores are a good resource if you don’t live close to a reputable dairy.
As far as what to do for your family, it’s a personal decision of course. I keep coming back to the fact that the industrialization of our foods has led us right into a national health crisis and eating things that are whole and unprocessed is generally a good idea. There is nothing more whole and unprocessed than milk straight from the cow.
Is there a risk? Yes, but is the risk greater than eating raw spinach? A Big Mac? Driving a car down a busy highway? Playing a rough contact sport? Swimming in the family pool? That’s for each individual to decide.
Disclaimer: I do not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information provided in this post or anywhere on this blog.
Very interesting… gives me a lot to think about. We’re about to move back to CO and I’ve looked into raw milk there but it’s not legal to purchase raw milk in that state so local dairies get around that by letting you purchase a share of a cow, and with it its milk.
One of my favorite authors is Jodi Picoult and she wrote a novel back in 1999 (Plain Truth) that indirectly deals with raw milk on a Pennsylvania Amish farm. Worth the read for the story, though not if you’re iffy about whether or not to start drinking raw milk.
That sounds like a book I must read.
Jo-Lynne,
Katie
My book club reads one of her books every year, I think. You will LOVE her stuff.
Heather, I had forgotten Plain Truth was so much about raw dairy, as I wasn’t into the real food thing when I read it, but you’re right. Picoult always does SO much research for her novels! We do the cow share thing here in MI, too.
when I was growing up, we all drank raw milk. My Grandmother would mik the cows at 6 in the morning and we would all have milk for breakfast. When she came back after milking the cows in the afternoon, all the grandkids would have a cup of milk (still warm) . When my grandparents retired from raising cows, they would buy milk from another families, who they trusted to have “clean” milk .
Yep, my mom has told me the same story about my grandmother growing up on a farm in Maine. The one thing that does give me pause, is that they would drink the milk fresh – same day. Keeping it for a week does worry me a bit.
We love our raw milk. After being a skim milk drinker for years, I now cannot stand the taste. I have my sister to thank for “converting” us!
Both of my girls drink raw milk every day, and neither has ever been sick from the milk. The can’t get enough, especially my youngest. We are able to purchase our milk through Lancaster Farm Fresh, a CSA, and I know that the farmers take great care in producing their milk and ensuring our safety. Something I have learned about pasteurized milk since switching is that the ultra-pasteurized milk actually does not even need to be refrigerated because it is so dead. That is what I find most disturbing.
Thanks for a great post!
Yes, the ultra-past stuff is nasty. Sometimes my husband accidentally gets my half-and-half ultra-past and I can hardly stand it in my coffee. It tastes like Coffeemate. Bleh.
Unfortunately, most organic milk at the supermarket is ultra-past. I don’t get it.
I live in Virginia, where it is illegal to sell raw milk to consumers. You have to actually buy a cow (or a cow share) to get raw milk, or you have to go through incredibly elaborate and expensive procedures to acquire this stuff. Bummer, because I believe there is nothing wrong with good, clean, raw milk. I just don’t have the time to routinely visit a farm and provide the continual oversight necessary to obtain safe raw milk where I live. Luckily, Whole Foods sells milk from a dairy in central Virginia; their whole milk, pasteurized at the lowest possible level, is the next best thing. My kids cannot get past the lumps of cream in the unhomogenized milk (even after I shake it), so I do buy the homogenized stuff, but I really believe that whole milk in its least-treated condition is best for kids and adults alike. And the neighbors get a kick out of the milk crate I use to cart the glass milk bottles back and forth.
I wonder if it’s the same milk my mom gets. Comes in glass bottles, and it’s sold at the regular grocery. She can choose cream line or homogenized. Local, grass fed. It’s good stuff.
I really hope this is the Homestead Creamery milk you are thinking of, b/c that is what I have been drinking for a few months now, and I LOVE it! I do think it is past. though, but not ultra-past. I feel like it is a step in the right direction for me, since I’m still not sure about raw milk…
Yes, it is. It is pasteurized at very low heat. The cows are grass fed, and as you know, you can get the cream line. I really wish we had that option here. I can get local, grass fed, low pasteurized, but it is homogenized. It is also $7 per gallon, and my favorite raw milk source is $5.
“I keep coming back to the fact that the industrialization of our foods has led us right into a national health crisis and eating things that are whole and unprocessed is generally a good idea. ”
I’m so with you right there. I used to drink raw milk years ago from grass-fed cows–I didn’t have any lactose intolerance and my allergies dropped way down. I don’t even drink milk anymore because I can’t find a good clean source of grass-fed raw milk. The salt they load into milk is very damaging to my kidneys, along with all the other “enrichments” they throw in. Why bother drinking dead milk?
Exactly. I didn’t drink milk for years b/c of my lactose intolerance (I can eat other dairy, just not pasteurized milk.) I could have taken a lactaid tablet and had it, but, as you say, why bother?
I so want raw milk, but it’s illegal here in MI unless you own the cow (or a share of cow). I need to start searching for someone that would do this for me.
My other option is goat milk. But I’m not quite ready to raise my own goats yet LOL
LOL. Yeah, I’m not there yet either!
I think I’m going to be sick. Poo in milk?! I did not want to know that (not that I’m blaming you for sharing the information). I have no idea if we have a source for clean, raw milk in our area so now I have to find a way to erase that information from my brain.
If you can find a local dairy, even if it’s pasteurized, it’s a heckuvalot better than supermarket milk.
We have been drinking raw milk for almost a year and love it. I can’t prove a direct correlation, but we have had far fewer illnesses since making the switch.
Th funny thing is, we live in NC where it is illegal to sell raw milk, so we joined a co-op that delivers it from SC. In order to comply with NC laws, they had to add a label to all raw milk that says (in 1in letters) “Not for human consumtion.”. It makes me chuckle that something as unprocessed and “real” as raw milk has to have that label, but half of the “food” at the grocery store has a super long list if ingredients that we can’t even pronounce.
The irony truly is comical, if it weren’t so sad.
I wish more people would do the research that you have done, and shared with us. So many people jump on a bandwagon and don’t know WHAT they are talking about.
We had a major issue here in MN a few weeks ago, a little girl got ecoli from Raw Milk, but they found that the farm was to blame, that they were not a clean farm by any means. I think if you have a good source, and you know why you want drink Raw Milk than you should, but all means!
There are choices for a reason!
Ugh. It is really scary. And I know it *can* happen. I do like the guy I go to; I drive 30 minutes to his farm, even though I could get it 10 min away at a store. And sometimes I do, but usually I make the drive b/c I feel so much confident about getting it from him.
I hope I’ll still be blogging in 2013, I’m still just getting started! Maybe I’ll even be a mom by 2013, hmmm.
So forgive me if this question is really stupid, but what’s the difference between organic and raw milk? Is it pasteurization?
Not a stupid question.
Raw milk is straight from the cow — not heated by pasteurization. It may also be certified organic, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, many farmers who sell raw milk adhere to practices even stricter and more natural than the organic guidelines require.
Organic is a certification that guarantees that the milk comes from cows that do not receive growth hormones and are fed organic feed. They may or may not be grass fed, it may or may not be pasteurized.
i get raw milk at the amish farm community about 65 miles away. it’s nice for a day trip but i would like to get enough to last vs. driving an hour-and-a-half to get milk every week. can raw milk be frozen?
Wow, that is a hike! You actually CAN freeze it. The lady at the farm where I go says that she has some customers who buy 5 gallons or so at a time and take it home and freeze it. I tried that, and I wasn’t thrilled with it because it doesn’t defrost entirely in the fridge, so you have chunks of icy milk in your glass. So I just make the trip once a week, but it’s only 30 min for me.
That said, I’m seriously considering buying 2 gallons and freezing it and taking it with us on our 10-hour road trip next week. I figure if I pack it in a cooler, it will barely even start to defrost by the time we get there, and I can put it in the fridge, and that should keep it safe. At least that will get me thru the first week of vaca. After that, I’ll have to go milk-free for the second week.
While freezing the milk, shake it every half hour. That will help the consistency a lot after thawing!
AWESOME. Thank you!
We’ve been drinking raw milk for about 3 years now. We started because my son had horrible reactions to milk when I was weaning him. My friend gave me some to try and he had zero reaction to it so I quickly joined the co-op. You gave a great synopsis and I really enjoyed reading your farmer’s comments. Studies and reports are great, but I really like hearing from the sources. Just a quick aside: The co-op where we get our milk did not deliver one week this winter because of the snow so I had to get grocery store milk. I was so paranoid to give it to my kids and was just waiting for them to get sick from it. I chuckled when I realized the irony in that for most people it’s the other way around. And, my 18-month old did get sick and had a horrible diaper rash. Once we were back on the good stuff, it cleared up quickly. Nina Plank’s book, “Real Food” is a quick, easy read for someone on the fence about these issues. One day I want to tackle Weston A Price’s, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.” It’s amazing that some cultures (some in the Swiss Alps) pretty much survive on raw milk and cheese. I love seeing the pictures that he took of these people with their beautiful, symmetrical, faces and their perfectly straight, white teeth. I really think that speaks volumes when we would normally expect people from these rural areas to have practically no teeth. Speaking of teeth, there is another book on my list that talks about how one can actually regenerate one’s teeth…as in correct cavities and enamel… through eating a more traditional diet. O.K. enough… sorry for the length…again.
Would love the title of the book about teeth. Very interesting!
It’s called, “Cure Tooth Decay” by Ramiel Nagel.
DeAnn, I love your lengthy comments!
I agree, Real Food is a great read, a good place to start.
I’d love to read Cure Tooth Decay. I’ve had a lot of trouble with my teeth over the years and I’m sure my diet didn’t help matters.
Excellent, well-written post. You have such a gift, and I appreciate you doing the research.
I was raised on raw milk just out of convenience (neighbors were dairy farmers and sold it to us cheap as a favor) and we had our normal share of allergies a few with asthma etc., so I am not quick to jump on the bandwagon of it being some golden super-food. Your article was really thought-provoking though. I wish our country could have a food supply overhaul.
I have to say that my son’s asthma has gotten much better, but he may well be outgrowing it. My middle daughter does have a time with spring allergies and I didn’t notice that being any milder this year. So yeah, who knows. But just knowing that raw milk COULD help to alleviate the severity of those issues is enough for me.
Thanks for all that good information. I am leaning towards raw milk, as I know it is better for you, but I still need to get over that “it needs to be pasteurized” stigma that we all grew up with.
I do get milk that is has no growth hormones but it is not organic. That is the hard thing, b/c all organic dairy (half and half, cream, and milk) is ultra pasteurized. So do I get the regular which is probably full of antibiotics but has some nutritional value or do I get the organic, with no antibiotics/hormones but it is ultra pasteurized and has zero nutritional value. I believe all the organic is ultra pasteurized b/c it gives the grocers longer shelf lives b/c they don’t sell organic near as fast.
All that to say, is why I am leaning towards the raw milk.
BTW, how long does raw milk typically keep in your refrigerator?
I agree, it’s an awful conundrum. I don’t get why more organic milk isn’t minimally pasteurized.
I don’t let the milk go longer than week. I go to the farm once a week and get 2 gallons at a time. I try to remember when I went last, and if it’s getting on towards a week, I will use it for cooking and drink the fresher stuff.
I rented a DVD on Mongolia with Julie Roberts moderating. The Mongolians subsist on mare’s milk. Old and young alike their teeth were as white and beautiful as Julie’s Hollywood smile. That’s what Weston Price observed. I too just read the Untold Story of Milk. I don’t think anyone can intelligently discuss the subject without reading that book. Like fructose corn syrup, the USDA and FDA are more interested in protecting an industry than consumer health. I’ve been drinking it for 3 years and would never go back to pasteurized. I did not find realrawmilkfacts.com to be objective. It’s pretty much FDA rehash.
Yes, I agree. When you realize the government’s role in this, it is truly disheartening.
I’ve never had raw milk, but my husband grew up on it. I definitely think it’s better for you than the junk you buy in the store. I don’t use it now, because I haven’t had the opportunity to get it from a good source; however, now that I live in dairy country, I definitely need to look into finding some.
Great post!
-FringeGirl
This was a fantastic, well thought out post on Raw Milk. I am reminded again why you are one my favorite bloggers.
This quote alone is awesome: This is not a matter of raw versus pasteurized in my view, rather it is a matter of clean versus contaminated.
Perfectly stated.
Me again – I read Plain Truth too. Very good. It does hit on the risks of drinking raw milk as a pregnant woman and, in the case of pregnancy, I don’t think the risks of listeriosis to the fetus is worth the benefits of raw milk. But, in all other cases, I think it is worth weighing the options and making an educated decision for yourself and your family.
Just went to Wholesome Dairy Farm this morning and bought our first half gallon of raw milk. I mentioned your name and the lady was so sweet.