With the trend towards locally grown, eco-friendly, natural food, raw milk is touted as being more healthful, better tasting and nutritious than pasteurized milk…but is it? Proponents of raw milk say it’s safe to drink…but should you drink it and give it to your family

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. It’s milk from any hoofed animal including cows, sheep or goats. Because of the potential for raw milk to contain a wide variety of bacteria including such suspects as:

• Salmonella
• E. coli
• Listeria
• M. tuberculosis
• Campylobacter
• Brucella

Public health officials for decades have expressed concern over drinking raw milk. Symptoms of illness range from:

• vomiting
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain
• fever, headache and body aches

However, people with weakened immune systems from HIV or autoimmune diseases or infants, young children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially sensitive and illness from raw milk can be very serious and result in death.

Joining me on the podcast to answer more questions about the raw milk movement is Dr. Ronald Schmidt, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida. Dr. Schmidt has authored more than 100 scientific publications and presentations in dairy/food science technology, food safety, and microbiology, and is co-editor of the book, Food Safety Handbook.

Dr. Schmidt delves into these questions that you have asked?

1. First, I have to ask this same question that I asked Joe Wright, the dairy farmer who was our guest last week. Do you drink raw milk or pasteurized milk and why?
2. Proponents of raw milk say it is more nutritious with additional enzymes and healthy bacteria that are destroyed by pasteurization. Is one milk more nutritious than the other?
3. Does raw milk contain antimicrobial components making pasteurization unnecessary? What effect does pasteurization have on milk?
4. Dr. Schmidt, advocates of raw milk point to some studies where children drinking raw milk have less allergies, asthma and eczema. Where does the scientific community come out on this debate on drinking raw milk and giving it to children?
5. What about cheese made from raw milk? Is it safe? I see dairies selling it at farmers’ markets.
6. Do you think raw milk will become legal in Florida and other states?

What’s your opinion on raw milk? Post your comment on my blog and I’ll share some of them on an upcoming podcast.

Listen to this week’s podcast