Before American dairies started routinely pasteurizing milk, around 1938, about a quarter of foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. were linked to the consumption of milk and milk products.
Now, nearly all milk is pasteurized, which kills the bacteria in it. Only about 1% of foodborne illness outbreaks are now linked to milk consumption — and of that 1%, it's raw milk that's almost always the culprit.
Currently, Michigan is among 19 states that do not allow the sale of raw milk. Republican state Representative Matt Maddock has introduced a bill to allow dairies to sell unpasteurized milk directly to customers.
"When you legalize raw milk sales, you increase the number of people within the state who will get sick," said Dr. Pamela Ruegg, an epidemiologist and veterinarian at Michigan State University. "And some of those people will get very sick, and they're typically children, immunosuppressed people, and elderly."
In 2011, Ruegg was one of the authors of a 261-page analysis of what kind of regulations could ensure that consuming raw milk would be safe if allowed in Wisconsin — America's dairy heartland.
"There's no real way to reduce the risk." she said, and the state legislature decided not to advance raw milk sale legislation. "Even with myriad forms of testing on raw milk, it's impossible to predict if the milk that you're consuming will contain harmful bacteria or not."
The harmful bacteria can come from the cow's udders, from cow fecal contamination, from dairy workers, and from the soil, hay, and other materials and items in and near the barns.
Four of the primary bacteria that can be found in raw milk are:
- Campylobacter. About 1 in 1,000 people infected with Campylobacter will develop Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious neurological disorder which causes temporary paralysis and requires hospitalization.
- Salmonella. A serious Salmonella infection can progress to meningitis or bone infections. It can also lead to Reiter's Syndrome, a form of arthritis. About 400 people a year in the U.S. die of salmonella-related illnesses.
- Listeria. Pregnant women who develop a listeria infection suffer a roughly 25% fetal or newborn fatality rate, in addition to an dramatically increased risk of miscarriages and premature births.
- E. coli. E. coli infections can progress to a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure.
Many people with uncompromised immune systems may develop no symptoms from consuming tainted milk, or, if they do become sick, it's generally an illness that lasts a few days to a week. But, said Ruegg, "if you drink enough raw milk, you will likely randomly consume one of these four bacteria, and you may or may not have catastrophic outcomes from it."
Ruegg said there is almost no difference in the nutritional makeup of raw milk and pasteurized milk, but raw milk believers continue to spread misinformation about its supposed health benefits.
On Facebook, Rep. Maddock said the bill, HB 5218, would "give more options to people who want more flexibility, and make it easier for farmers to sell to customers without worrying about the administrative state."
