Raw Milk

I was recently a regular purchaser of raw milk and only gave it up due to the cost of getting it.  Here in Massachusetts, it is illegal for a grocery store to carry unpasteurized milk on its shelves.  Therefore, in order to get raw milk to the masses in Boston (the farms are not all that close to the city), there was a small distribution ring (that I believe has since been shut down by the government) that would send someone out to pick it up in large quantities and drop it off in distribution points where then the consumer (that's me) would go pick it up.  This was a very under the radar execution similar to what I expect a drug distribution ring would be like.  As far as the movies portray it, that is what it felt like.  I am not entirely sure what the political reasons for not allowing distribution of unpasteurized milk through your local grocer is, but it could be as simple as the fear of large quantities of people getting sick from it.  However, I doubt it is that simple as the food growth and distribution business has, in my opinion, become completely commercialized and all about the money and not about the peoples health.  We will leave this heated topic for another day.

If you have ever thought about drinking raw milk, here are George Mateljan's thoughts on it. 

The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) that was first proposed in 1924 by the United States Public Health Service has been adopted, in its 2003 revision, by 46 out of 50 states. (The four non-adopting states have passed similar ordinances of their own.) The PMO calls for the pasteurization of milk as a way of killing any potentially disease-causing bacteria in the milk, including Campylobacter, Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. I would also like to note that in 32 states, it is legal to sell and distribute raw, non-pasteurized milk and that both forms of milk exist in the majority of states.

Today there are more pasteurization options in the marketplace than there were in 1924; these options include high-temperature, short-time methods as well as low-temperature, longer time methods. The goal of all methods is the same: to kill potentially pathogenic bacteria that may be present in the milk or milk product (like cheese or yogurt). TemperatureTimePasteurization Type

63ºC (145ºF)*30 minutesVat Pasteurization
72ºC (161ºF)*15 secondsHigh temperature short time Pasteurization (HTST)
89ºC (191ºF) 1.0 secondUltra Pasteurization (UP)
90ºC (194ºF)0.5 secondsUltra Pasteurization (UP)
94ºC (201ºF)0.1 secondsUltra Pasteurization (UP)
96ºC (204ºF)0.05 secondsUltra Pasteurization (UP)
100ºC (212ºF)0.01 secondsUltra Pasteurization (UP)
138ºC (280ºF)2.0 secondsUltra-high temperature (UHT) sterilization

Note: * = These temperatures and times are appropriate if the milk does not contain added sweeteners, and if it has not been condensed. If either of those changes applies, then the temperature must be increased by 3ºC (5ºF). In addition, eggnog is an exception to these rules and must be pasteurized according to a different set of times and temperatures.

There's no debate about the effectiveness of pasteurization for killing unwanted bacteria. There's also no doubt that pasteurization gives dairy products a longer shelf life by lowering the presence of bacteria that cause spoilage. But pasteurization also kills desirable bacteria found in fresh milk, and it denatures milk enzymes that may be active in the human digestive tract when fresh milk is consumed.

There is little research, however, to determine what nutritional benefits are lost when milk is pasteurized. I've seen speculation about changes in protein structure, calcium, amino acid, and vitamin C bioavailability all being triggered by pasteurization, but I have not seen research that confirms or rejects these occurrences.

As I mentioned earlier, in the majority of states, dairy farms are free to produce raw (unpasteurized) milk as long as they adhere to the conditions and restrictions set out in state law. The safety of unpasteurized milk depends on the quality of the cow's life, including the immediate environment and feeding. It also depends on the quality of handling facilities once the cow has been milked. For these reasons, I recommend a very careful look at any dairy farm's procedures, track record, and publicly available information before becoming a regular consumer of its unpasteurized milk. Producers of raw milk should be carefully monitoring the milk for the presence of microorganisms and will be able to certify that the milk meets all federal and state regulations in this regard.

Because freshness is at a premium, and the product shelf life is greatly shortened (which is not necessarily bad) the dairy should be within driving distance of your residence so you can visit it in person. In some states, like Indiana, where it is illegal for a local dairy to sell unpasteurized milk, cows from the dairy may be leased in order for consumers to obtain a regular supply of raw milk.

In the absence of a very high-quality dairy farm in driving distance from your residence, I recommend purchase of pasteurized milk. Even though it's one step further from natural milk (which I would prefer), the health risks-however small-don't seem like a worthwhile trade-off in exchange for the potential benefits. If a high quality dairy farm, producing certified organic milk in unpasteurized form is available in your area, I would recommend considering this option.

If this is a topic that has or currently interests you, be diligent in your research and decide for yourself.  Check with your local laws and you may even find out that it is easily accessible to you.  Real Milk is a website I found very helpful when I was researching it.