Next: Should you drink raw milk?
The possible risks outweigh the positive impact on asthma and allergies. There are also health risks. Raw milk can be contaminated with pathogenic germs – through pathogens being excreted directly through the mammary glands or entering the milk due to lack of hygiene during milking. Raw milk can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter or enterohemorrhagic E. coli. “These germs can sometimes cause serious illness,”.
WHO also recommends avoiding raw milk in its "Ten Golden Rules for Safe Food Preparation". Especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women or the elderly and sick, consumption of raw milk is generally not recommended. But even in healthy adults, there is an increased risk of food infection when consuming raw, unboiled milk, which, depending on the type of pathogen, can cause mild to severe illness. E. coli or Campylobacter is a diarrheal disease that occurs in vulnerable groups and can cause serious infections. In healthy people, the consequences will not be very serious, unless they may already have other infections in their body.
Be careful with pregnant women.
On social media, pregnant women are also advised to consume raw milk. However, experts explicitly advise against this. Apart from the bacteria already mentioned, listeria can also be found in raw milk products. This can cause stillbirths and miscarriages or even serious defects and illnesses in newborns.
Strict regulations in Germany Due to health risks, the supply of raw milk to consumers is prohibited in Germany with some exceptions. Raw milk may only be sold directly on the farm by milk production companies. Apart from that, the milk must be obtained on the day of delivery or the day before. The notice “Raw milk, boil before consumption” must be clearly visible and legible at the delivery point. In addition, the responsible authorities must be informed of this. Raw milk packaged at food retailers may only be sold as select milk. For this purpose, the company requires approval from the veterinarian's office and is subject to special hygiene regulations and controls. The milk of choice must be stated as such and not marked with a best before date, but rather with a use-by date. Regarding selected milk, especially vulnerable groups are advised to boil it before consumption, because the presence of pathogens cannot be ruled out. Raw milk cheeses are also subject to certain regulations. “Made from raw milk” must be stated on the packaging. This also applies to products sold off the cheese counter. Due to the long ripening period and much lower water content, hard cheeses made from raw milk do not pose any problems even for vulnerable groups, however the consumption of soft cheeses and cream cheeses made from raw milk is not recommended premium milk sold in Germany is unclear . But according to the dairy industry association, the proportion is very low. The Federal Association of Direct Milk Marketers and Selected Milk Producers also did not have exact figures. "There are probably around 20 companies that are still marketing this product," he said when asked.
The number of disease outbreaks is decreasing
The number of disease outbreaks recorded in Germany due to consumption of raw milk has fallen sharply in recent years. According to the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), 18 high-proof cases were recorded in 2017, only one in 2021 and none since then." On the one hand, various risk management measures at milk distribution points raw is partly responsible for this.
Warning in the US about bird flu
In the US, the CDC again warns against consuming raw milk products because of bird flu. High viral loads were detected in the raw milk of infected cows; two dairy farm workers were infected with the H5N1 virus. However, heated milk does not pose a danger because the virus can be destroyed through this process. Despite the warnings, sales of raw milk in the US increased sharply, according to media reports.
