Raw Milk Cause of Most Dairy Disease Outbreaks

A report titled Nonpasteurized Dairy Products, Disease Outbreaks, and State Laws—United States, 1993–2006 was published recently by the Centers for Disease Control.

In it they provide an analysis of data for dairy-associated disease outbreaks for the thirteen-year period. They found 121 outbreaks with a known pasteurization status, meaning it was known whether or not the products had been pasteurized. Of the 121 identified outbreaks, 73 (60 percent) involved nonpasteurized products and resulted in 1,571 cases, 202 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. CDC also found nonpasteurized products caused a disproportionate number of outbreaks and outbreak-associated illnesses while additionally impacting more persons less than 20 years of age.

“While some people think that raw milk has more health benefits than pasteurized milk, this study shows that raw milk has great risks, especially for children, who experience more severe illnesses if they get sick,” said study co-author Dr. Barbara Mahon, deputy chief of CDC’s enteric diseases epidemiology branch. (Source: CBS News)

A Cornell University study found infants are more at risk from raw milk as well. This study is worth mentioning in the light of the ‘defense’ that the government is unfairly attacking raw milk and they are the only source of information countering its use.

Raw milk advocates and enthusiasts claim raw milk is healthier. A raw milk dairy farmer responded saying people get sick from campylobacter, not from raw milk. He also said raw milk is vilified, while other foods such as peanut butter and cantaloupe are not.

The CDC study was published in this month’s edition of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, and is one of the largest of its kind.

Image Credit: Keith Weller/USDA Public Domain Wiki Commons

Read more: Conscious Consumer, Food, Health, Raw

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Elin G.

10:13PM PDT on Apr 1, 2012

Raw milk may be natural when it comes directly from the mother's breast, but drinking milk from another species' mother, is really not... If you drank it straight from the udder, it would probably be fine, though, since it would have less exposure to become contaminated... But I don't think a lot of people would like to do that. It would become too obvious how gross and absurd it is.

send a green star

Sarah M.

10:44PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

Raw should be the only way to drink it. Next they'll say we need to pasteurize our breast milk.

john o.

9:41AM PDT on Mar 14, 2012

Your suggestion calls for the boiling of the female breasts and udders. Raw milk, the first food of mankind and other animals, the most life-giving natural source of sustenance is being maligned and the people pumped full of fear of anything natural, while promoting the killing off the nutritious elements and enzymes that might also sustain other organisms so that middlemen may profit by storing the degraded food source longer for shipping ans storage from corporate farms rather than to allow people to enjoy the benefits of FRESH whole foods.

Krysti S.

9:55PM PDT on Mar 13, 2012

raw milk should be banned save it for the calves

Julianna D.

7:17PM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

This is from the CDC- they have not tested any benefits from raw milk.
http://journal.livingfood.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rawmilkfinal.png

Anne G.

8:42AM PST on Feb 27, 2012

Thanks, people should know about this. And I do believe milk is good for people, that is not a lie.

heather g.

3:10AM PST on Feb 26, 2012

It's an industrialised farming system - what do you expect ? There is nothing natural about how food is handled repeatedly in certain societies....

Salina L.

8:43AM PST on Feb 25, 2012

Happy EVERY Day Honey!..Are you still single?? it's the most effective site in the world to connect with, date and marry rich, whiteand black and big people.. It's worthy a try. M`i`x`e`d`s`i`n`g`l`e.'C O M -Ｔｈｅ　ｂｅｓｔ　c o m m u n I ty　ｆｏｒ　ｓｅｅｋｉｎｇ　bi s e x u a l and b I –c u r Io u s In d I v I d u a ls 　 You’ll find hundreds of thousands of open-minded singles & couples looking to explore their bisexuality.．Join it right now and have fun…join! it is so nice

Willom S.

5:15AM PST on Feb 25, 2012

If raw milk was so lethal, there would be no dairy farmers left, for all the dairy farmers in my rural area drink their milk raw. Also, if the author were to investigate the number of tainted meat and vegetable outbreaks that have occurred in the last 13 years, he might conclude that it's not safe to eat anything...

6:33PM PST on Feb 24, 2012

Please CHANGE THE TITLE of this article, which is PROPAGANDA which is all most will see.