Pathways - Summer 2012

News and Information from RealMilk.com

The Safety of Raw Milk

PROTECTIVE COMPONEN TS: Raw milk contains numerous components that assist in:

Killing pathogens in the milk (lactoperoxidase, lacto-ferrin, leukocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, antibodies, medium chain fatty acids, lysozyme, B12 binding protein, bifidus factor, beneficial bacteria);

Preventing pathogen absorption across the intestinal wall (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, mucins, fibro-nectin, glycomacropeptides, bifidus factor, beneficial bacteria);

Strengthening the Immune System (lymphocytes, immunoglobulins, antibodies, hormones and growth factors).

PASTEURIZATION HARMFUL: Many of these antimicrobial and immune-enhancing components are greatly reduced in effectiveness by pasteurization, and completely destroyed by ultra-pasteurization.

DANGERS EXAGGERATED: Although raw milk, like any food, can become contaminated and cause illness, the dangers of raw milk are greatly exaggerated. In an analysis of reports on 70 outbreaks attributed to raw milk, we found many examples of reporting bias, errors and poor analysis resulting in most outbreaks having either no valid positive milk sample or no valid statistical association.

USDA/FDA S TATIS TICS: Based on data in a 2003 USDA/
FDA report: Compared to raw milk there are 515 times
more illnesses from L-mono due to deli meats and 29
times more illness from L-mono due to pasteurized
milk. On a per-serving basis, deli meats were 10 times
more likely than raw milk to cause illness.

OU TBREAKS DUE TO PAS TEURIZED MILK: Due to high-volume distribution and its comparative lack of anti-microbial components, pasteurized milk when contaminated has caused numerous widespread and serious outbreaks of illness, including a 1984-5 outbreak afflicting almost 200,000 people. In 2007, three people died in Massachusetts from illness caused by contaminated pasteurized milk.

ANCIEN T HIS TORY: Claims that raw milk is unsafe are based on 40-year-old science and century-old experiences from distillery dairy “factory farms” in rapidly urbanizing 19th-century America.

MODERN ADVANTAGES: Compared to 30–50 years ago, dairy farmers today can take advantage of many advancements that contribute to a dramatically safer product including pasture grazing, herd testing, effective cleaning systems, refrigeration and easier, significantly less expensive, more accessible and more sophisticated milk and herd disease-testing techniques.