Pasteurizing milk is done with two goals in mind: to kill harmful pathogens, and to increase shelf life by slowing down the souring process.
Raw milk patrons claim pasteurization kills the good germs in the milk and destroys some of the nutrients- such as the vitamin C, lactase (enzyme that breaks down lactose), calcium, and phosphorus. There is no scientific evidence to support this whatsoever. Raw milk has not been shown to contain antibacterial chemicals, and research shows there are minimal differences between nutritional content of raw milk and pasteurized milk. Its ultimately the same product- same proteins, same lactose content, etc.
Pasteurization kills the harmful pathogens in milk such as e. coli, salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and brucella. I read a raw milk supporter's article online, and she said we wouldn't have to worry about getting sick from raw milk so long as it's clean. Well, ok... but let's think about that for a minute. For milk to be "clean" in that sense would mean the milk would be sterile. Is it a realistic expectation for milk to be sterile? Is it even possible? No, it's not. I read an article a doctor wrote on the subject, and he made a really good analogy regarding surgical doctors in the OR. They take every possible precaution regarding sterilization, and there are still cases of infection. For a dairy farm, containing animals that defecate, as well as natural airborne bacteria, to beat that out, is a long shot.
I also checked out the FDA website. From 1998-2005, there were 45 foodborne illness outbreaks associated with raw milk consumption. These 45 outbreaks resulted in 1,007 illnesses, 64 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Obviously the number of illnesses could potentially be higher if one were to factor in the number that went unreported.
I also found this, which summarizes the FDA's stance on raw milk:
Raw Milk & Pasteurization: Debunking Milk Myths
While pasteurization has helped provide safe, nutrient-rich milk and cheese for over 120 years, some people continue to believe that pasteurization harms milk and that raw milk is a safe healthier alternative.
Here are some common myths and proven facts about milk and pasteurization:
- Pasteurizing milk DOES NOT cause lactose intolerance and allergic reations. Both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins.
- Raw milk DOES NOT kill dangerous pathogens by itself.
- Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk's nutritional value.
- Pasteurization DOES NOT mean that it is safe to leave milk out of the refrigerator for extended time, particularly after it has been opened.
- Pasteurization DOES kill harmful bacteria.
- Pasteurization DOES save lives.
I can understand that people want to give into the nostalgia of farm-fresh, raw milk. But in this day and age, it's too dangerous. Yes, a lot of kids that grow up on dairy farms drink some of the raw milk straight from their tank. But, a lot don't. Lots of dairy farm moms buy pasteurized milk from the grocery store. Those kids that do drink the raw milk have grown up with those cows, that bacteria, and drinking that milk, so there's a tolerance to the pathogens built up that most city-folk down have in their immune system, so we're comparing apples to oranges on that one.
We cook our meat and eggs to prevent disease, why would we not do the same with milk?
Sources mentioned in this blog:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm079516.htm
http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/zimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use/raw-milk-helpful-or-harmful/
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Are there any real benefits to drinking raw milk?
ReplyDeleteGreat question. Honestly, no. Here's a great quote on the subject:
ReplyDelete"It's like playing Russian roulette with your health," says John Sheehan, director of the Food and Drug Adminstration's Division of Dairy and Egg Safety. The dangers, he says, range from mild food poisoning to life-threatening illness. "One complication that can arise as a result of infection with E. coli O157:H7 is hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause acute renal failure, especially in the very young or the elderly," Sheehan says. "There are absolutely no health benefits from consuming raw milk."
What a well written argument. Thorough and insightful. :)
ReplyDeleteSomeone once told me they knew a dairy farmer who used to drink raw milk from the tank and let his kids drink it raw...one kid got deathly ill and I can't remember if he died from drinking it or not. However, my grandpa and his family used to drink raw milk. I think it depends on the person, but I agree it is like Russian Roulette.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blogs, they are easy, fun and informative. I agree, while I may taste raw milk, if given the chance, or cook with it, I would never serve it up in a glass to my son, husband or anyone else for that matter. Just as I would not serve raw unpasteurized eggs in a Caesar Salad.
ReplyDeleteI do have a question, when I was a kid we shook our milk jug because the cream would come to top. Why don't we have to shake whole milk anymore?
So glad you asked that! If you look at your whole milk jug, you'll notice it says "homo" on the cap, or "homogenized" on the label somewhere. That's a process the milk goes through before bottling. This process breaks up the fat globules so they stay evenly suspended in the milk. Therefore, there is no layer that rises to the top, and you don't have to shake!
ReplyDeleteAs always, awesome job! This is a good explanation of the dairy side of the "all-natural problem." People think all-natural is better than using all the chemicals and processes developed in modern agriculture over the years but they don't realize there was a reason we went through the trouble to develop them in the first place. Unpasteurized dairy products can be deadly. The most dangerous chemicals in our grains are all-natural as well and many people have spent their entire careers working to minimize them in our food supply. I've seen research concluding free-range eggs are more likely to carry pathogens than conventionally-raised eggs. Still, the uneducated public tends to see grassy fields as good and industrial machinery as bad. It's hard to beat that mentality but I hope discussions like this one can help get the word out.
ReplyDelete