There is a growing body of evidence that raw milk is a low-risk food when it is produced carefully and intentionally. Previous papers, such as “Recent Trends in Unpasteurized Fluid Milk Outbreaks, Legalization, and Consumption in the United States,” have shown that the rate of raw milk related outbreaks is decreasing, meanwhile the consumption of raw milk is increasing.
In a new paper published in the January 2020 Journal of Epidemiology and Infection, Cat Berge and Ton Baars have investigated the use of intentional raw milk production and testing practices in the USA, Canada, and Germany. Berge and Baars compared test data from raw milk intended for pasteurization to test data from the Raw Milk Institute, the German Vorzugsmilch system, and the British Columbia Herdshare Association. The test data show that raw milk being intentionally produced for human consumption is fundamentally different from pre-pasteurized milk that is taken from bulk tanks. It was concluded that "raw milk can be produced with a high level of hygiene and safety.”
This paper provides further proof that, with farmer training, careful production practices, and ongoing testing, low-risk raw milk is achievable! This is great news, since raw milk has been shown to have protective effects against asthma, allergies, eczema, respiratory infections, ear infections, and fevers.
