Raw milk safety is a hotly contested topic these days within the health food community. The truth is that CDC data proves the safety of this most nutritious and traditional of foods as analyzed and published by researcher Dr. Ted Beals MD in a 2011 edition of the Wise Traditions Journal.
Raw Milk Risk Extremely Small Compared to Risk of Other Foods
WASHINGTON, DC June 22, 2011: Data gleaned from U.S. government websites and government-sanctioned reports on foodborne illnesses show that the risk of contracting foodborne illness by consuming raw milk is much smaller than the risk of becoming ill from other foods, according to research by Dr. Ted Beals, MD, appears in the Summer, 2011 issue of Wise Traditions, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
“At last we have access to the numbers we need to determine the risk of consuming raw milk on a per-person basis,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit nutrition education foundation that provides information on the health benefits of raw, whole milk from pastured cows.
The key figure that permits a calculation of raw milk illnesses on a per-person basis comes from a 2007 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) FoodNet survey, which found that 3.04 percent of the population consumes raw milk, or about 9.4 million people, based on the 2010 census. This number may, in fact, be larger in 2011 as raw milk is growing in popularity. For example, sales of raw milk increased 25 percent in California in 2010, while sales of pasteurized milk declined 3 percent.
In addition, Dr. Beals has compiled published reports of illness attributed to raw milk from 1999 to 2010. During the eleven-year period, illnesses attributed to raw milk averaged 42 per year.
“Using government figures for foodborne illness for the entire population, Dr. Beals has shown that you are about thirty-five thousand times more likely to get sick from other foods than you are from raw milk,” says Fallon Morell. “And with good management practices in small grass-based dairies offering fresh unprocessed whole milk for direct human consumption, we may be able to reduce the risk even further.”
“It is irresponsible for senior national government officials to oppose raw milk, claiming that it is inherently hazardous,” says Dr. Beals. “There is no justification for opposing the sale of raw milk or warning against its inclusion in the diets of children and adults.”
According to Pete Kennedy, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, “Where raw milk is concerned, the FDA has an agenda apart from protecting the public health. The agency wants to restrict and discourage the sale of unprocessed dairy products. This will have the effect of denying freedom of choice.”
“Every time there is a possible connection between illness and raw milk, government officials issue dire press releases and call for bans on raw milk sales,” says Fallon Morell. “However, these numbers fail to justify the government opposition and prove what we’ve known all along, that raw milk is a safe and healthy food.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Raw Milk Pathogens, What You Should Know, by Dr. Ted Beals MD
But don’t you think the issues raised in this article sort of sidestep the point–that the illnesses involved in the studies could have been prevented if the milk had been pasteurized?
Please don’t throw any more insults at me. I’m merely trying to have an intelligent conversation about raw milk here.
And the government keeps saying raw milj is dangerous?
Neilson 2% milk product may contain cleaning solution
The Canadian Press
Published Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 12:42PM EST
Last updated Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 12:58PM EST
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Saputo is recalling one of its milk products sold in Ontario and Aylmer, Quebec because it may contain a cleaning solution.
The affected product is called Neilson Trutaste two per cent Microfiltered Partly Skimmed Milk and is sold in four litre bags.
Neilson 2% milk product may contain cleaning solution
The Canadian Press
Published Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 12:42PM EST
Last updated Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 12:58PM EST
12 comments
Email
Tweet PrintDecrease text sizeIncrease text size
Saputo is recalling one of its milk products sold in Ontario and Aylmer, Quebec because it may contain a cleaning solution.
The affected product is called Neilson Trutaste two per cent Microfiltered Partly Skimmed Milk and is sold in four litre bags.
They bearing the UPC code 066800 00404 4 and a best before date of Feb. 12 that appears on the bag closure tab. No other codes are affected.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency there has been one reported reaction associated with using this product.
Milk containing this cleaning solution may not look or smell spoiled, but drinking it may cause symptoms such as nausea, upset stomach or vomiting.
Montreal-based Saputo is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency there has been one reported reaction associated with using this product.
Milk containing this cleaning solution may not look or smell spoiled, but drinking it may cause symptoms such as nausea, upset stomach or vomiting.
Montreal-based Saputo is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
I’m anxous to try raw milk, I just need to find a source for it.
Thanks for posting!! I will never go back to pasteurized milk, after having raw for 1 1/2 years. We have never gotten sick from the milk and we’ve been with 2 different farms. In fact my kids (and my husband and I as well) are rarely sick and when we are, it’s for maybe a day or two. I don’t medicate when they’re sick, which makes a huge difference as well. Raw milk is such an amazing healthy and healing food. I personally know a guy who, prior to having access to raw milk, was severely underweight, all kinds of digestive issues and generally unwell most of the time. Once he starting getting raw milk and did the Milk diet for a few weeks his health has made a complete 180! His digestive issues are gone, he is at a very healthy weight and feels so good. He says he’s got his life back. You will never hear anyone say pasteurized milk changed their health and lives for the better – NEVER!
Awesome to have these stats that prove how safe it is, compared to other foods. The fact that most illnesses come from processed foods should scare the crap out of people, but they conveniently ignore this. If milk was meant to be pasteurized it would come out of the cow that way 🙂
OMG. You people are astoundingly inept. A very small percentage of people drink raw milk. So, obviously there are less illnesses. The chance that a glass of raw milk will make you sick is still much higher than the chance that a glass of pasteurized milk will get you sick.
If you read the information you’ll see that the data was based on a PER PERSON analysis, so it is very much correct. Who’s inept again?
Ted Beals is inept. Raw milk is one of the riskiest foods. Comparing raw milk vs. every other food is obviously going to show that the total sick from every other food is higher. Most people eat more of everything else. Even raw milk drinks don’t live on only raw milk. On a per serving basis raw milk is many many more times more likely to make you ill. The data proves that. Beals is just a paid raw milk industry spin-doctor.
Just because you don’t like the conclusions of the data doesn’t make the researcher inept. The data is very clear and comes from sources that are against raw milk which makes the conclusions even more compelling. I guess you’re not very confident in your opinions given that you won’t even attach your name to your comments.
GO RAW MILK!!! 🙂
Government Data Proves Raw Milk is Safe – The Healthy Home Economist http://fb.me/F7lWCWqf
Sarah – My family all drinks raw milk. I order from a farm in PA (and reside in Cali so I order it three weeks at a time). Do you know if we lose valuable enzymes freezing the milk? I was always taught “shake it and freeze it” but don’t want to be missing out. Same for our raw yogurt?
You lose a bit of nutrition freezing but not much.
Government Data Proves Raw Milk is Safe – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/deiyFMg