The Raw Truth About Raw Milk

The Raw Truth About RAW MILKU Milk pasteurization has been credited with dramatically reducing illnesses and deaths caused by harmful bacteria that can live in raw milk, without compromising any of the health benefits of milk. However, persistent myths about pasteurization, including the spurious notion it causes lactose intolerance and reduces nutritional value, are behind a political push to legalize or facilitate raw milk sales. This legislative session has seen 40 bills relating to raw milk sales in 23 states, even though more outbreaks of illnesses tied to raw milk or cheese have occurred in states where the sale of unpasteurized dairy products is legal through retail stores, farmers markets or farms, according to the Centers for Disease Control. More People Sickened In States Where Raw Milk Sales Are Legal 2009-2013 outbreaks linked to raw milk or raw milk products Number of people sickened Outbreaks tied to raw milk or its products 100 50 25 Raw milk from an unspecified source, possibly sold illegally by a street vendor, was used to make homemade Mexican-style queso fresco cheese, which sickened 25 people in Minnesota in 2013. States where sales of some kind are legal States where sales are illegal* 10 D.C. Raw cow milk from The Family Cow in Cham- bersburg, Pa., was blamed for two illness outbreaks in 2013. Products from the same farm sickened 148 people in 2012. Nine people became ill from raw cow milk from the McBee Dairy Farm in Mascot, Tenn. Raw cow milk from the Small Kenai Peninsula Dairy in Kasilof, Ala., was responsible for two illness outbreaks in 2013, sickening a total of 36 people. *Some dairies in states that do not permit the sale of raw milk instead sell shares of a cow that produces the milk. From 1993-2006: 77% of illness outbreaks caused by raw milk or its products occurred in states where sales were legal 73% of people sickened by raw milk or its products were in states where sales were legal Raw milk sales laws by state* Since the federal government does not regulate raw milk, it can be sold only in the state where be sold across state lines or internationally. was produced or purchased and cannot Bold: States that prohibit the sale of raw milk WEST NORTHEAST Alaska Connecticut YES Arizona YES Maine YES California YES Massachusetts YES Colorado New Hampshire New Jersey YES YES Hawaii Idaho YES New York YES Pennsylvania Rhode Island Montana YES Nevada YES YES YES New Mexico YES Vermont YES Oregon Utah YES SOUTH Alabama Arkansas YES Washington Wyoming MIDWEST YES YES YES D.C. Delaware Illinois YES Florida Indiana Georgia Kentucky Louisiana lowa YES YES Kansas YES Michigan Maryland Mississippi North Carolina Minnesota YES YES YES Missouri YES Nebraska North Dakota YES Oklahoma YES South Carolina YES Ohio Tennessee South Dakota YES Texas YES Wisconsin YES Virginia West Virginia *Some dairies in states that do not permit the sale of raw milk instead sell shares of a cow that produces the milk. Raw Milk Causes More Outbreaks, And More Serious Illnesses 79% of dairy-related illness outbreaks between OUTBREAKS, 1993-2006 73 I Tied to raw milk or its products 1998 and 2011 were caused by raw milk and cheese 48 Tied to pasteurized milk or its products 1-3% of Americans HOSPITALIZATIONS, 1993-2006 202 drink raw milk 37 Drinking Raw Milk Puts You At Risk Most common causes of 1993-2006 illness outbreaks due to raw milk or raw milk products Causes of milk contamination Pasteurization kills bacteria that can contaminate milk, even on organic farms or farms that regularly test their milk. Illnesses caused by Samonella and Campylobacter commonly present with diarrhea, and can become serious enough that hospitalization is required. E. coli can also cause diarrhea, in additon to urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, pneumonia and other illnesses. 39 Insects, rodents, and other animals Cow feces coming into direct contact with the milk Infection of the I Salmonella outbreak cow's udder or other I Campylobacter outbreak cow diseases I E. coli outbreak 16 Humans, for example, from soiled boots Bacteria that live on the skin of cows Tools or equipment used on farms Tied to raw milk or milk products Tied to pasteurized milk or milk products Raw Milk Doesn't Lessen Lactose Intolerance Or Increase Nutritional Value Severity of lactose intolerance symtoms, where 0 = no symptoms, 10 = unbearably severe symptoms* Health benefits of raw milk and pasteurized milk COMPONENT RAW MILK... IN PASTEURIZED MILK... 10 .is a good source of vitamins, including thiamine, folate, and riboflavin .there is no significant loss of vitamins A, D, E, and K Vitamins Symptoms from raw milk 8 Symptoms from pasteurized milk Symptoms from soy milk .contains a small amount of vitamin C, but it is not con- sidered to be a good dietary Vitamin C ...there is a 0%-10% loss of vitamin C 4 source Milk proteins ..contains proteins that render milk more allergenic .these proteins are largely unaffected ..contains lactose, a primary sugar present in milk ...there is the same concentration of lactose Lactose Flatulence/ Diarrhea Audible bowel sounds Abdominal gas cramping ..contains iron-binding proteins that provide anti- bacterial effects by limiting the availability of free iron required for bacteria to grow Lactoferrin .lactoferrin has similar antibacterial properties *The study consisted of 13 participants ingesting escalating dosages of either raw, pasteurized or soy milk, provided in standardized containers, in eight-day phases and then report- ing their lactose intolerance symptom severity following inges- tion of 710 mL (24 oz) of milk on day seven of each phase. Sources: Centers for Disease Control, National Council of State Legislatures, Real RawMilkFacts.com, Center for THE HUFFINGTON POST Science in the Public Interest, Food and Drug Administration, The Washington Post, Annals of Family Medicine Illustrations: Shovel designed by Scott Lewis from the Noun Project, Boot designed by Ivan Pletenac from the Noun Project, Milk designed by Ilsur Aptukov from the Noun Project, Glass designed by Alberto Elizondo from the Noun Project Permitted in retail stores Only permitted at famers markets or through other avenues Only permitted on the farm Restricted to goat milk Require a prescription from a physician Permitted in retail stores Only permitted at farmers markets or through other avenues Only permitted on the farm Restricted to goat milk Require a prescription from a physician