In the 1980s, a series of TV commercials sparked the popular tagline “Milk Does a Body Good” after the dairy industry--suffering from a sales decline--launched a massive ad campaign. Years later, milk marketers reinvented the wheel with memorable “Got Milk?” ads showcasing celebrities and athletes with milk mustaches. The campaigns were all about promoting the health benefits of drinking milk. But times have changed. With information just a click away, consumers have the upper hand in choosing what they want and how they want it. This includes making a choice when it comes to milk and whether or not they want it fresh from the farm.
Raw Milk 101
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines raw milk as “milk from cows, goats, sheep, or other animals that has not been pasteurized.” Pasteurization is the process of heating and boiling milk, which ultimately kills bacteria and pathogens. Raw, unpasteurized milk contains harmful bacteria. By drinking it, consumers put themselves at risk for a number of foodborne illnesses and even death. Despite it being such a hot topic, unpasteurized milk accounts for less than 1 percent of all milk sold to consumers in the U.S. [1]
There are many ways that milk can become contaminated during the milking process--via urination, defecation, pre-existing animal diseases and infections, dirty processing equipment, insects, or cross-contamination caused by humans are most of them. Pasteurization has always been the only sure way to rid milk of these impurities. In fact, in the early 1900s pasteurization was one of the reasons why foodborne illnesses like typhoid and scarlet fevers--both related to milk consumption--took a sharp nosedive. [2]
Does Raw Milk Do a Body Good?
Despite the proven health risks, raw milk advocates--largely concerned parents, vegetarians and organic food enthusiasts--are fervently adamant about the perceived benefits. Raw milk contains a number of natural antibodies, proteins and bacteria. Proponents also deem it wholesome, healthier, cleaner and better tasting. Finally, raw milk is said to help some people with reducing levels of lactose intolerance and certain allergies. However, there is plenty of proof that the negative consequences far outweigh the benefits. [3, 4]
Raw Milk Recalls
According to data reported by the CDC between 1998 and 2011, raw milk (or cheese) caused [5]:
The last year alone has also seen its fair share of raw milk health scares.
In Idaho last summer, the CDC reported that 11 individuals fell ill with cryptosporidiosis originating from raw goat’s milk contaminated with feces. [6]
In early 2015, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Department put a stop to raw milk sales at a rural creamery after test samples came back positive for Campylobacter. At the time, the state’s health department had not reported any illnesses associated with raw milk purchased from the creamery. [7]
Just this spring, three children under age 5 were sickened with campylobacteriosis after consuming raw goat’s milk from Claravale Farm of San Benito County, CA. One of the children was hospitalized, but all were expected to recover from the foodborne illness. [8]
The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance
The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) sets the national scientific standard for the high quality production, processing, packaging and sale of “Grade A” milk products--the only kind that can be sold to consumers under federal law--in the U.S. It exists to help prevent what are known as milk-borne outbreaks. Still, it is up to each individual state whether they adopt the PMO, or choose to enforce their own milk safety laws. States that adopt the PMO agree that they will adhere to the set preventive control requirements, thus relinquishing their right to set additional or separate regulations. [9]
Who’s Got Raw Milk?
To simply declare which states do and do not allow the sale of raw milk would be misleading. That’s because each state varies greatly, many having implemented their own laws on how to handle selling (or not selling) raw milk to their residents. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first banned the distribution and sale of raw milk across state lines in the 1980s. Although this federal law still exists, it does not prohibit individual states from producing and selling raw milk within their state. [10]
So, how much do in-state raw milk laws really differ?
Last fall, Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets began cracking down on the testing protocols of raw milk. If milk samples exhibit higher than desired levels of bacteria, raw milk farmers are required to call all their customers and disclose this information. If a second round of tests also yields too much bacteria, the farm can be shut down for good. Farmers and their advocates believe that the government’s stringent rules are a strategic tactic aimed at pushing small businesses out of the booming food industry. However, state officials stand strong on their objective to strengthen food safety laws in an effort to prevent foodborne outbreaks and the spread of pathogens. [11]
Further south in West Virginia, the state does not permit the direct sale of raw milk to consumers. However, the state did join a herd sharing (or cow sharing) movement in March. This allows state residents to enter a joint agreement with a local farmer, purchase shares of a cow and pay to have that cow cared for and milked. After signing a contract stating they are aware of the possible health risks, the resident is then free to buy raw milk from the cow they invested in. Similar programs are also in place in Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio and Virginia. This middle ground offers exactly what raw milk advocates want--the freedom to choose. [12]
In Maine, the sale of raw milk directly to consumers is permitted, as long as it’s sold by an authorized, licensed farmer. Raw milk is also widely available for sale to residents in California, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. [13]
More examples of states’ unique raw milk regulations [14]: