Raw milk is unpasteurized goat’s or cow’s milk. Unpasteurized milk is milk that is not subjected to intense heating, to kill bacterial or viral contamination, before being sold for consumption.
Raw milk is an issue that gets people fired up. On one side, you have supporters who claim it to be nature’s perfect food and it is the inherent right of an individual to consume raw milk if they choose. On the other side, you have opponents who claim it to be too easily contaminated with foodborne pathogens like E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Listeria and when foodborne illness outbreaks are a threat, individuals do not have the right to become contamination sources. 28 states permit the sale of raw milk for human consumption, showing that the country may also be divided on the issue of raw milk.
Regardless of your stance, raw milk is a food that needs to be consumed cautiously. Infants and young children should never be given raw milk. Pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems should also avoid raw milk. In these individuals, raw milk’s potential pathogens could too easily turn into foodborne illness complications like sepsis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), both of which can be fatal.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
