Mammary Lane

Can I ask a question about the above statement, Umbra? Do you mean that research has disproved this claim, or that there simply is no research available on the nutrient quality of raw versus processed milk?

I ask because I suspect that peer-reviewed research hasn't looked at raw milk exhaustively -- I haven't been able to find anything one way or the other. And, also, with a lack of corporate interest in raw milk (because it's illegal to sell across state lines) comes a lack of corporate research dollars.

I'm not a raw milk true believer by any means. But as a seeker of good intel, I am interested in the claims that raw milk drinkers make based on their own, anecdotal experience. I'm also reminded of statements made about organic food in the eighties and nineties, that "there is no research supporting the claim that organic food is healthier." When the research dollars started to flow toward examining organics' claims, lo and behold, it turned out the freak fringe (and their anecdotal experience) could be supported by research after all.

"Raw milk", until that pasteurization process was developed, was used for centuries - no, millenia.  There were few problems.  Use your common sense.

Pasteurization came in only AFTER the industrialization of milk came in, and with it, careless, mass processes delivering milk to anonymous consumers that the big companies had little concern for.  Diseases and infection were rampant, and mass pasteurization took care of that.  

With cautious milk production, you can yield raw milk that is just fine (ask my dad, or anyone who grew up on a farm several decades ago -- illnesses are rare).

How ironic that you advocate a process necessitated, for the most part, by large, long-distance, factory production.

And who can blame milk-allergic people who CAN safely drink raw milk without symptoms for wanting to do just that?  Or people who need to supplement their probiotic flora to stay healthy -- or are people who do this now-accepted-by-maintstream-medicine practice "true believers"?

What a disappointment.

Here are some quick factoids about raw milk: http://realmilk.com/what.html.

Legalizing raw milk actually became the #1 agricultural issue on change.org (Obama's unofficial sounding board). A ton of people are discovering the awesome health benefits (better digestion, no more allergies, etc). The risks of contamination are actually less than pasteurized milk. Would take paragraphs to get into but all the info is out there.

Look beyond the USDA and FDA - some believe (myself included) that they are bought and paid for by lobbyists for the industrial food corporations and there are some who are part of those agencies that come from those corporations.

If you care about the environment, animals or even your own helth, you should go vegan.

In addition, it is important to consider that our understanding of nutrition is by no means complete, and that pasteurization may kill things that prove to be beneficial. An interesting source- Real Food by Nina Planck. She cites some interesting studies that relate to raw milk and allergies, and raw milk and breast cancer.

Overall though, this is an important issue that could use a little more discussion than a mild warning.

And I'd like to add that those who sound like "zealots" only do so because they are fighting against the massive agribusiness and its friend the FDA, whose viewpoints totally dominate the "conversation."  See Wendell Berry, for example.

My husband and I drink cheap, raw, organic milk from a small, responsible dairy farmer.  It's great, and we've had no problems, nor have any of the other people (including families with small children) who get milk from the same dairy.  The state of Vermont recently passed a law (H616)making it easier for dairy farmers to sell raw milk, which makes small-scale organic dairy farming more sustainable within the local economy.  

And there ARE health benefits to raw milk as well; large-scale tests haven't been done precisely because of the way the FDA and USDA marginalize small family farms.  See www.ruralvermont.org for information about some of the tests done by independent scientists.  There is also testimony from the H616 discussion.  If you'd like in-depth explanations of the tests and hearings, Rural Vermont will provide hard copies of anything not linked to on the website. One thing I'll add here - the healthy bacteria (like those in your gut, which keep you healthy) in raw milk was found actually to IMPEDE the growth of harmful bacteria.  If you add e. coli to raw milk, the healthy bacteria will fight against it and may even eliminate it; if you add e. coli to pasteurized milk, the e. coli stays and multiplies.

There is also a Dairy Bacterial Testing company in our area which will do on-site tests; perhaps there's one in your area, too!

Kellyann

Multiple studies a significant prevelence of salmonella, e. coli O157:H7, and other pathogens in bulk raw milk tanks. Two molecular epidemiology studies ("A survey of foodborne pathogens in bulk tank milk and raw milk consumption among farm families in pennsylvania." by Jayarao et al, and "Prevalence of Salmonellae, Listeria monocytogenes, and fecal coliforms in bulk tank milk on US dairies." by Van Kessel et al) looked at hundreds of samples from different dairies and both found around a 2-3% prevelence of salmonella, and as high as a 6.5% prevelence of Listeria monocytogenes (Van Kessel).

I also found two strong case studies of e. coli O157:H7 outbreaks, one in Oregon in the 90s and a more recent outbreak in Washington ("A prolonged outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections caused by commercially distributed raw milk.", Keene et al, and "Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 associated with raw milk consumption in the Pacific Northwest.", Denny et al).

This article was written in response to a question from a mother worried about her toddler's health. Salmonella, e. coli, and listeria can KILL or debilitate young children. The risks associated with drinking raw milk for an adult and the risks associated with drinking raw milk for children are not the same. In light of this, Umbra's response was completely appropriate. You may have made the choice to drink raw milk for yourself. The mother needs to have ALL this information available to make that choice!

In response to MsKellyann's comment directly above, "If you add e. coli to raw milk, the healthy bacteria will fight against it and may even eliminate it; if you add e. coli to pasteurized milk, the e. coli stays and multiplies" - well, I was not able to find any peer reviewed evidence of this. I have however read many competition experiments in other systems. Probiotics are great, and I'm not knocking them, I make yogurt at home! But it takes a VERY low level of e. coli to cause disease, especially in a child who's immune system is not yet fully developed. In competition experiments, what you usually see is a reduction in the population, and then only that when there are limited resources available.

Of further interest may be:

"Foodborne pathogens in milk and the dairy farm environment: food safety and public health implications." by Oliver et al

Hehe, wow, that got a bit longer than I had intended and I'd better go use that last 10 minutes of my lunch break to eat some food!

all of the above studies can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ - just type the title into the search box or start your own search on raw milk!

Pasteurization is no guarantee of cleanliness. Salmonella outbreaks in the past came from pasteurized milk like the 1985 outbreak in Illinois. This particular strain was resistant to penicillin and tetracycline. The heat makes the proteins less available, promotes rancidity of unsaturated fatty acids, reduces availability of minerals, and destroys vitamins. Synthetic vitamins have to be added which can actually be harmful. Enzymes that are very important for digestion and assimilating vitamins and minerals are also destroyed and puts a strain on the digestive system and pancreas. Pasteurized milk putrefies.

Back to my wonderful grass farmers. Grazing Jerseys or Guernseys produce milk with high levels of CLA, vitamins and minerals. Raw milk contains lactic-acid producing bacteria that protect against pathogens. When raw milk gets old, it just turns into another food. Their modern milking machine, stainless steel tank and efficient packaging and distribution make pasteurization totally unnecessary to the purposes of sanitation.

Not all raw milk comes from grazing cows so you'll have to do your homework. It is possible that people get sick from raw milk. People have also gotten sick from ground beef, spinach, tomatoes AND pasteurized milk. You can get sick from anything, really, if your immune system is compromised. However, local raw milk will make less people sick than your big name agribusiness with central distribution selling contaminated milk to millions of people.

1.  I'm a microbiologist, and I work in the dairy industry (it's not my ideal job, but it was the first thing offered to me out of college) in a QC lab, and we're constantly testing for microbiological contamination.  I see exactly what goes on behind the scenes and how the milk is handled pre and post-pasteurization.  I also see what we let "slip through the cracks".  In short, it's disgusting.  I would never, ever drink milk coming out of this plant (even if it was organic) as I've seen how likely it is that commercial milk is contaminated AFTER it is pasteurized.

2.  Pasteurization is not a failsafe.  It should not be considered an alternative to selling milk that is safe in the first place.  Cows that are infected with tuberculosis, salmonella, etc. are NOT the norm, at least not when they're raised under the right conditions.  A healthy cow is (usually) able to fight off such infections, and an unhealthy one should be isolated.

3. In Washington state, at least, you can buy raw milk off the shelves.  This milk undergoes rigorous testing (much, much more stringent than the testing that pasteurized milk is put through) before it can be sold, and it is regulated by the state.  Of course, this means a hefty price tag, but to me it's worth it.  Now, you may be taking a greater risk in drinking raw milk that's not regulated but I still think that the risks are minimal for a healthy adult. (Disclaimer: that's just my opinion...I'm not a doctor, don't sue me please)

4. Let's face it, compared to the rest of the world the U.S. is paranoia capital.  The FDA strongly cautions against eating even raw eggs, and I think your chances are 1/1000 of getting an egg that contains salmonella.  In Japan it's not all that uncommon to eat raw chicken (because, once again, it's all about how the animal is handled) but most Americans would consider that disgusting.  Of course, I probably wouldn't try that here either when the attitude seems to be "it doesn't matter where it all comes from or how it got here, just process it enough and it'll be 'safe'"

5. Nina Planck really makes a great case for raw milk, and her book is what inspired me to start looking into it.  She's not a dietician or a scientist; she's a journalist.  While that may evoke skepticism in some of you, I think it's refreshing.  She is (mostly) free of any bias or hidden agendas and simply compiles data from various studies and interviews and presents it in a way that is very accessible to a wide audience. If you haven't read it I would highly recommend that you do and decide for yourself.    

~Yuki~

Raw milk, in my opinion, is a bit like sushi.  Would I ever eat sushi if I was in the midwest...well, no.  It would probably taste disgusting if it wasn't fresh enough, plus it's not as safe.  Yes, there will always be the (minor) risk of parasites, but they haven't banned sushi...yet.

Most people would consider me an extreme food nazi, but in my house we don't eat anything unless we know exactly where it comes from.  We've visted the farm that produces our milk and met the actual cows.  We've done the same with the farm that grows most of the grains that I use and the place that we buy our produce and eggs from.  It's an extremely rare occassion when we buy anything packaged.  I know not everyone is willing and/or able to do that, and in that case you have to trust that the system works.  

On that note, I should add that the company I work for also bottles milk for Horizon (at another plant) so don't automatically assume that organic milk is exempt from the bit that I posted above (though I have not personally visited that particular plant, and I can't attest to their practices).

And finally...I left out a really important reason for drinking raw milk - the taste!  There's really no comparison.

The end. (for real this time)