The Consumption of Raw Milk

The consumption of raw milk entails serious risk for infectious disease in anyone who drinks it.

The consumption of raw milk and other dairy products can lead to health problems in a variety of ways. It may occur through milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream which do not involve the use of pasteurized milk. Prior to pasteurization, raw milk was responsible for the occurrence of tuberculosis, diphtheria, streptococcus, typhoid fever, and other illnesses.

Viruses, bacteria, and parasites raw milk contaminants

Some of the microorganisms that infect humans through the consumption of raw milk include Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria, Mycobacterium bovis, Brucella, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli 0157, Shigella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Giardia, norovirus, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Hence, during the first half of the 20th century, many women boiled milk before they gave it to their infants and children.

The microorganisms that can contaminate raw milk include, therefore, bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

It is possible to obtain raw milk from cows, goats, sheep, or other animals. However, it is illegal to sell raw milk directly to consumers in half of the United States. And interstate commerce of these products is a violation of federal law unless the intent is to pasteurize it or make aged cheese from it.

Cow-sharing has been a way of avoiding the issue of illegal sale or distribution of raw milk. It involves someone who pays the farmer a fee to purchase a cow and then utilize the raw milk. Nevertheless, this practice has become illegal in several states as well (Centers for Disease Control, 2017).

Raw milk prone to contamination

Though some farms test their raw milk, there is no guarantee that it will be safe. Raw milk can lead to disease in humans regardless of whether the cows have been grass-fed or grain-fed. In any event, there is risk that raw milk may acquire microbial contamination. In fact, it may become contaminated with bacteria when farm workers collect it.

It is not possible to determine whether one is about to consume contaminated raw milk because there is no particular odor, taste, or physical appearance which will reveal this to the consumer.One reason why raw milk is so prone to acquire bacteria is that it is nutritionally quite good. In other words, milk, whether raw or pasteurized, contains an abundance of essential nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, and calcium, and this furnishes an excellent environment for bacteria to thrive should these microorganisms contaminate raw milk.