Is raw milk healthy to consume?

Milk is a nutritious liquid food with protein, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Before the introduction of pasteurisation in the early to mid-1900s, all types of milk were consumed raw, in its natural, unprocessed state.

Raw milk advocates argue that it has superior health and nutritional benefits and that pasteurisation eliminates these advantages. However, government and health experts disagree and advise against consuming it.

However, with the growing popularity of natural, local, farm-sourced foods and the perception that raw milk is healthier, its consumption among people has significantly increased in recent times.

Raw milk, in general, can come from cows, goats, sheep, buffalo, or even camels. It can be used to make a variety of products, including cheese, yoghurt and ice cream.

Common claims about benefits

Raw milk advocates argue that it’s a complete and natural food that contains more amino acids, antimicrobials, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids than pasteurised milk.

They also claim that it’s a better choice for those with lactose intolerance, asthma, and autoimmune and allergic conditions.

Pasteurisation was introduced in response to an epidemic of bovine (cow) tuberculosis in the United States and Europe in the early 1900s. An estimated 65,000 people died over 25 years from consuming contaminated dairy.

Some raw milk advocates argue that many of the harmful bacteria destroyed by pasteurisation, such as tuberculosis, are no longer an issue and that pasteurisation no longer serves a purpose.

Furthermore, they claim that the heating process during pasteurisation reduces the overall nutrition of the milk. However, most of these claims are not backed up by science.

What are the risks?

Experts state that raw milk is not safe to drink because it can carry many dangerous germs, such as Brucella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium, E Coli, listeria, and salmonella.

These bacteria can pose serious health problems, especially if you have an immune deficiency. Several outbreaks of bacterial infections in the past were traced back to raw milk and raw milk products.

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurised or homogenised to kill harmful bacteria. It can be contaminated with harmful germs that can make you very sick. That means raw milk is one of the riskiest foods.

People who get sick from drinking raw milk may suffer for many days of diarrhoea, stomach cramping and vomiting. Some people may even develop severe or even life-threatening diseases. They include Guillian-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis, and Hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure, stroke and even death.

Who is most at risk?

Any person can be susceptible if the milk they consume contains harmful bacteria. However, the risk is higher for pregnant women, children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

More than half of all disease outbreaks associated with raw milk have involved at least one child under age 5.

Healthier alternatives

According to experts, many food scientists, and other medical and food safety professionals, the risks of consuming raw milk far outweigh the supposed health benefits, which are not supported by research.

For this reason, the healthier alternative to raw milk and raw milk products is pasteurised milk and milk products.

M Rubaiyat Adnan Turjo has completed BSc in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry and is currently a postgraduate student at the Microbiology and Parasitology Department at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University.