Raw Milk is Not Safe

RFK claims the FDA is suppressing research on raw milk – but here’s the reality. Raw milk isn’t safe to drink. It can carry harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, which can cause severe illnesses like kidney failure or Guillain-Barré syndrome. In fact, raw milk is considered one of the riskiest foods to consume by all credible scientific food and safety agencies.

Some influencers claim raw milk is healthier because it’s 'natural,' but pasteurization doesn’t destroy milk’s nutrients. It just kills harmful bacteria and inactivates viruses, making milk safer to drink.

Raw milk also does not reduce rates of lactose intolerance, substantively reduce rates of allergy or asthma, or give you immunity to the H5N1 bird flu strain that’s currently circulating. In fact, pasteurization kills the ACTIVE H5N1 virus that has still been found in raw milk.

To address the claims about allergy and asthma, I recommend this excellent article by Dr. Andrea Love, which I’ll share an excerpt from:

“This claim originates as a result of the “farm effect" - an association between children growing up on farms and reduced prevalence of allergies. Only limited data exist to suggest a weak association between this, and this is not causally or uniquely related to consuming raw milk.

Development of allergies is a complex process (one I actually taught a course on last night for the New York State Department of Health!), and it is impacted by multiple factors. While there may be a relationship between early immune system education and reduced likelihood of hypersensitivity reactions like allergies, there is a complex interplay between early life immune system development, environment, genetics, and more. It is unlikely that a single “factor” is determining whether someone develops allergies or asthma, and the data related to it and raw milk are lacking.”

So, stick with pasteurized milk. It’s safe, it’s nutritious, and it protects you and your family. Don’t fall for the hype. Let’s trust the data.