American Academy of Pediatrics Endorses Raw Milk Ban as Children Continue to Fall Seriously Ill
Need to Know
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has endorsed efforts to ban on the sale and distribution of unpasteurized (raw) milk and milk products, citing well-established foodborne illness risks and no demonstrated nutritional advantages over pasteurized dairy
- From 1998–2011, 79 percent of dairy-associated foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. were linked to raw milk and raw cheese products; outbreaks were more frequent in states where raw milk sales were permitted
- Despite growing popularity and social media promotion, claims about raw milk's superior nutritional value, digestive benefits, and ability to alleviate lactose intolerance are not supported by scientific evidence
- Raw milk can harbor pathogens including Campylobacter, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella, potentially causing severe illness, complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and even death, especially among children
- AAP urged pediatricians to advocate for state bans on raw milk sales, oppose legislation expanding access, and work with public health officials to educate consumers and strengthen restrictions, including warning labels
In an October 5 policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed a ban on the sale and distribution of unpasteurized (raw) milk products in the U.S. This statement comes as raw milk consumption rises in popularity due to high-profile individuals and influencers touting its purported health benefits, and in the wake of a highly publicized case of a California toddler who was fed raw goat’s milk and fell severely ill with an Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection.
Medical, public health, and food safety professionals, including AAP, have long warned about the serious risks of unpasteurized dairy products and discouraged its consumption, especially for children, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, the elderly, the immunocompromised, or other vulnerable populations.
“This recommendation is based on the multiplicity of data regarding the burden of illness associated with consumption of unpasteurized milk and milk products,” AAP wrote, “as well as the strong scientific evidence that pasteurization does not alter the nutritional value of milk.”
Outbreaks Increase in States With Legal Raw Milk Sales
In the U.S., 79 percent of dairy-associated foodborne illness outbreaks between 1998 and 2011 were linked to raw milk and raw cheese products. Furthermore, from 2000–2020, foodborne disease outbreaks generally occurred more frequently in states that permitted raw milk sales than in states where sales for human consumption were prohibited, with outbreaks increasing in correlation with licenses issued for raw milk sales.
These statistics were cited in an October feature article written for Food Safety Magazine by food safety professor Nicola Holden, Ph.D. and consultant Gil Domingue, Ph.D., which examined the established health risks and unsupported health claims of raw milk consumption.
Unsupported Claims of Raw Milk Benefits Amplified Online
Social media has amplified unsupported claims of nutritional benefits of raw milk. Exemplifying this, Emily Marris, the mother of the 17-month-old who recently fell seriously ill after being fed raw goat’s milk, was encouraged in a Facebook group to feed the unpasteurized product to her child, Brooklyn, after seeing the milk promoted by a chiropractor and other members of the community.
Claims about the health benefits of raw milk are not supported by the evidence. As explained by Drs. Holden and Domingue, there is no meaningful difference in nutritional value between raw and pasteurized milk, and enzymes and low levels of potentially probiotic bacteria present in raw milk have not been shown to provide meaningful benefits to human digestion. Additionally, raw milk also does not naturally contain sufficient lactase to alleviate lactose intolerance.
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Illness Risk from Raw Milk is Serious, But Preventable
However, the risk of bacterial infection from consuming raw dairy is well-established and supported by evidence, with harmful microorganisms detected in raw milk (that would be inactivated by pasteurization) including, but not limited to, Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Toxoplasma gondii. Especially in vulnerable populations, infection can cause serious illness, complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and even death. According to Caitlin Karolenko, Ph.D., in an April 2025 Food Safety Magazine column on the risks of raw food, unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illness than pasteurized milk.
In its policy statement, AAP called infections from unpasteurized dairy “among the most preventable of foodborne illnesses,” given the ubiquitous access to pasteurized milk and milk products as well as the effectiveness of existing legislation restricting the sale of unpasteurized dairy products.
The Case for Banning Raw Milk Sales
In the U.S., 21 states allow raw milk to be sold in retail stores or allow sales on farms or through other direct-to-consumer channels, while federal law prohibits the interstate sale of raw milk for direct human consumption.
According to Drs. Holden and Domingue, as well as AAP, greater access to unpasteurized milk has been associated with more outbreaks. From 2013–2018, jurisdictions where unpasteurized milk was accessible experienced 3.2 times as many outbreaks as jurisdictions where retail sales were prohibited. These outbreaks resulted in a reported 98 hospitalizations, including ten cases of HUS, two cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome or Miller Fisher syndrome, and two deaths.
Brooklyn Marris developed HUS from the E. coli infection she contracted from raw goat’s milk. So did a second child, a six-year-old girl who consumed raw milk from the same farm, who ended up needing blood transfusions due to the severity of her illness.
“AAP encourages pediatricians to contact their state representatives to support a ban on sale of unpasteurized milk and milk products,” the group concluded in its statement. “Meanwhile, pediatricians can work with local public health officials to advocate for restrictions surrounding raw milk sale (such as warning labels) and community education on the risks of unpasteurized milk consumption. In states where unpasteurized milk sales are currently outlawed, bills proposing to legalize its sale should be opposed.”
