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Myths and Facts of

Myth: Raw milk is healthier than Pasteurized milk

Fact: Research has shown that the nutrient content of raw milk and pasteurized milk are not significantly different. While may destroy some of the Resources Center for good in addition to harmful bacteria, Health & Hygiene the risks of foodborne illness from bacterial Nonpasteurized in raw milk outweigh the potential in the Home & Products, Disease benefits of good bacteria that can be found Community in other dairy products, such as . Outbreaks, State Laws. Emerging Infectious Myth: Pasteurization causes lactose Diseases. Volume 18, intolerance. March 2012: Fact: Lactose intolerance is caused by a http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/ Raw Milk lack of enzyme in the GI tract making it hard article/18/3/11- for the body to break down lactose in the 1370_intro.htm. milk. As lactose is present it both raw and pasteurized milk, neither can cause or prevent lactose intolerance. FDA.gov: http:// www.fda.gov/Food/ Myth: Pasteurization causes allergic ResourcesForYou/ reaction to milk. consumers/ucm079516.htm Fact: Allergic reaction to any is cause by a immune response to the CDC.gov: http:// protein found in the milk. As pasteurization www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/ does not affect the nutrients and therefore rawmilk/raw-milk-index.html cannot cause a milk .

Myth: Raw milk has the ability to kill bacteria by itself. April 2012 Fact: The only way to adequately kill the harmful bacteria in milk is through a heat- treatment such as pasteurization.

Myth: Raw milk can help build my child’s .

Fact: Raw milk can be especially dangerous to young children as they are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illnesses that can Simmons College be serious, chronic, or fatal. 300 The Fenway Boston, MA 02115 www.simmons.edu/hygieneandhealth Raw Milk: What is it? Two types of pasteurization are commonly Some of the symptoms of foodborne Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep or used for milk products: Illnesses found in raw milk include: that has not been through the process of 1. High-Temperature-Short-Time Treatment  Vomiting pasteurization or other heat treatment. (HTST): Milk is heated to 161° F for 15 seconds  Diarrhea Advocates of raw milk claim that it is and then rapidly cooled. This is the most  Abdominal pain healthier due to more complete macronutri- commonly used technique.  Fever ents, more vitamins and minerals and 2. Low-Temperature-Long-Time Treatment preservation of good bacteria when it is not (LTLT): Milk is heated to 145° F for 30 minutes.  Headache heated. While these good bacteria are  Body aches preserved in raw milk, harmful bacteria will Historically, before pasteurization was also be preserved in the raw milk and developed in 1864, raw milk was the cause of If you or someone you know has become ill these may cause illness. Raw milk may many illnesses and deaths, especially in after drinking raw milk or consuming prod- contain any of the following bacterial children due to foodborne illnesses such as ucts made with raw milk, or are pregnant pathogens: bovine and brucelliosis. The and may have consumed raw milk or raw  Enterotoxigenic Staph aureus pasteurization process has been researched milk product, contact your doctor or  Campylobacter jejuni and improved since it’s development. In 1938, healthcare provider immediately.

and E.coli species (spread milk products were the source of 25% of food from fecal contamination) and waterborne illness, but now they account  monocytogenes (especially harm- for less than 1%. ful to pregnant women) Raw Milk and  species (passed between Pregnancy animals) Raw milk can contain  Yersinia enterocolitica (spreads from Listeria which is a bacterial water to animals) that can cross

the placenta and cause All of these pathogens can cause food- miscarriage, fetal death, or illness in a borne illness that can be especially harmful newborn. Consumption of raw milk or raw for infants, young children, elderly and milk products is strongly discouraged for immunocomprimised Does Pasteurization Affect Nutrient pregnant women. They should avoid raw Content? milk and any products made with What is Pasteurization? Heating milk can affect some nutrient in milk, unpasteurized milk such as , soft This is the process of heating the milk to a such as thiamin and vitamin C. However, milk or . If a pregnant woman specific temperature for a set period of time is not a significant source of these nutrients. thinks she has consumed a raw milk prod- to kill harmful bacteria that may be found in Therefore the nutrient composition between uct, it is very important that she contact her the milk. However, pasteurization does not raw and pasteurized milk is not significantly doctor immediately. kill all of the other bacteria in milk, including different. spoilage bacteria, which is one of the Is Raw Milk Safe? Raw Milk Availability reasons milk and other pasteurized dairy According to several associations, including the In the 1980’s the FDA passed regulation products still need to be refrigerated. FDA, CDC, and American Academy of prohibiting the interstate sale of raw milk, so Pediatrics, raw milk is NOT safe for general it is not allowed to be sold across state consumption due to the dangerous pathogens it borders. However, some states do allow may contain. Some of these foodborne sale of raw milk directly from farmers, illnesses can even be fatal in more vulnerable including Massachusetts. It is still highly populations and pregnant women. A recent recommended by the FDA that raw milk be CDC study showed that between 1993-2006, avoided to protect yourself and your family 4,413 were sickened by dairy-borne outbreaks, from harmful pathogens. and 36% of these (1,571 cases) were related to raw milk consumption.