Podcast: Raw milk? A friend or a foe to your health?
Written by: Amy Simonne
Reviewed by Donna Davis and Suzanna Smith
Recently when my son came home from his regular exercise session, he told me that his trainer recommended he drink “raw milk” for additional health benefits. I’d never heard of raw milk, and it didn’t sound very appetizing – Not to mention, I was curious about its safety.
As it turns out, there are definitely risks involved. According to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services (US-FDA-DHHS), raw milk is inherently dangerous and may contain a long list of disease causing bacteria. Additionally, some of these bacteria can be deadly, especially for those who are very young, very old or those who have medical conditions limiting the body’s ability to fight infectious diseases.
Currently, 99% of fresh milk consumed in the US is pasteurized, the process created to prevent foodborne illnesses in raw milk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 1998, more than 39 foodborne illness outbreaks, including an estimated 831 individual cases of illness, were reported due to consumption of raw or un-pasteurized milk or cheese made from raw milk. The outbreaks have occurred in 22 states.
Despite the well-known association of raw milk and disease-causing organisms, including Salmonella and E-coli, some consumers continue to believe that raw milk is of better quality or has greater health benefit than pasteurized milk. However, before exposing yourself or your family members to potential contamination from raw milk, understand the risks involved.
Listening, learning and living together, it’s the science of life. “Family Album” is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences and of WUFT-FM. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at familyalbumradio.org. Take the Family Album Radio Survey
Sources
On The Safety of Raw Milk (with a word about pasteurization)
FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Drinking Raw Milk
Labels: food safety, milk
