CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Everyone wants to be healthy and consume fewer processed foods, but is it dangerous to drink raw milk? Many people have turned to raw milk citing health benefits, but do the risks outweigh any potential benefits?
Raw milk sales in grocery stores rose 20% in the beginning of May, according to research firm Nielsen IQ.
THE CLAIM
Some people claim on social media that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk. They say the benefits outweigh any risks associated with drinking processed milk.
THE ANSWER
The risk of foodborne illnesses when drinking milk can outweigh the potential benefits.
OUR SOURCES
The milkman days are long gone. When you go to the store and see several different shelves of milk, you might be overwhelmed with the choices. More and more people are going for the option of raw milk.
What's the big deal? In the 1950s, the milkman dropped off raw milk, right? Not necessarily. According to the FDA, the Standard Milk Ordinance came into play in 1924, significantly reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses in dairy by pasteurizing milk.
“Pasteurization is where we are heating the milk to a temperature that will kill a lot for the foodborne germs that cause illness,” Robinson said
It's illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption in several states, including North Carolina. Meanwhile, South Carolina allows people to visit a dairy farm and purchase raw milk. In North Carolina, farms can sell raw milk, but it must be labeled "not for human consumption."
Are there benefits to drinking raw milk?
“We do know that through the pasteurization process, a lot of bacteria is killed off," Robinson said. "We do have good bacteria and bad bacteria. The thought is that perhaps there are some probiotics."
Regardless, Robinson said the risks of getting sick heavily outweigh the potential benefits of consuming those probiotics.
“Raw milk in its state with all of the natural kind of bacteria maybe found in a cow's digestive system can cause illnesses like E. coli and shigella," Robinson said. "Some of these very common bugs that you hear with food-associated illnesses."
A study published in the National LIbrary of Medicine looked at illnesses caused by raw milk. From 1993 to 2006, 60% of 121 different milk-based outbreaks involved raw milk products. These illnesses resulted in 202 hospitalizations and two deaths. The study found 75% of the outbreaks occurred in the 21 states that allowed the sale of raw milk.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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