Thanks to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease control, we finally have the numbers we need to determine the statistical safety of drinking raw milk. Turns out, raw milk really is safer than just about any other food out there — including spinach, peanut butter, and eggs. The risk of contracting an illness from contaminated raw milk is ridiculously small, particularly when you consider the amount of resources the federal government is pouring into undercover investigations of raw milk farmers, raids of buying clubs and co-ops, and creating an anti raw milk campaign.
For years, we’ve known exactly how many people in the U.S. get sick from drinking raw milk (an average of 42 per year). What’s been missing is the baseline — the number of raw milk drinkers in the U.S. In 2007, the CDC conducted a survey to determine the number of raw milk drinkers. And would you believe it? It took them until just a few months ago to make the data public! Running the numbers, it’s not hard to see why…
From a recent press release by 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.”
So, there you have it! Raw milk is SAFE, and we know how to make it even SAFER. Put cows out to pasture. Let them eat rapidly growing green grasses. Keep milking facilities well-cleaned and sanitized. Use modern refrigeration and stainless steel holding tanks. Keep milk cold while transporting it. If you choose to drink raw milk, only drink this “good stuff.” Don’t drink raw milk that’s been intended for pasteurization (this usually comes from confinement dairies, and isn’t particularly healthful or clean.) It’s so simple, really!
(photo by suzieblackmon)
All of us who grew up drinking raw milk certainly can’t be wrong!
Well it shows that you were lucky, I grew up drinking raw milk and ended up with scarlet fever from drinking raw milk..
You got scarlet fever – a non-food-borne illness – from drinking raw milk? Nonsense.
Scarlet Fever is caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria (the same bacteria that causes Strep Throat), which CAN be transmitted through foods like raw milk, eggs, ice cream, chicken, etc. but it is more likely to be transmitted through inhalation or touch (close contact). In order for the food to be contaminated, someone who is infected must come in contact with the food. So it is possible for a person to become infected with Scarlet Fever from consuming Raw Milk products, but it is more likely that an individual would become infected at school, their workplace, etc. from an infected individual.
I saw this and found it quite compelling. But for some reason, people are still convinced there must be something terribly dangerous about drinking fresh milk. I happen to think there’s something terribly dangerous about consuming the majority of foods sold at my local grocery store.
@Danika — Yes, we’ve been discussing it in a different thread below!
Oh good
April, I was just discussing the fact that we have in this country a thing called a “health food store.” It’s a shame that a person can’t walk into just any grocery store and come out with healthy food.
It’s amazing how much retail space is dedicated to imitation food.
I completely agree. Priorities related to foods are topsy-turvy.
Well-timed, given the raid at Rawesome today in California.
Yes, although even our health food stores often sell a lot of junk, too, unfortunately. But at least they provide many healthy foods that can’t be found at the regular grocery store.
This is so timely! Listen up world! The government just disproved themselves. Now, if only we could get them to pay attention to common sense and actual health of the people instead of big business dollars… “thirty-five thousand times more likely to get sick from other foods than you are from raw milk”
It’s baffling to me that so much energy is put into keeping people from accessing raw milk when other riskier foods are given the green light. Imagine the good that energy could do if it were put in the right direction. In the mean time, every time I pick up my milk I feel like I’m negotiating an undercover drug deal.
Sounds good. Is the actual data released somewhere?
Are you speaking about the CDC survey data about the number of raw milk drinkers or the info on the raw milk illnesses? If the analysis of the rate of illnesses, etc., it will be published in the upcoming issue of Wise Traditions, and will probably be compiled online shortly after that.
Then by George, they should step up to the plate and push for raw milk sales to be legal in the US!
don’t forget the current contamination of ground turkey meat
Awesome. I was just looking for this info today! Thanks for posting.
Does anyone know where we can get our hands on the gvt reports. Are they all from CDC? Thank you!!!
Oh no. And now this:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/rawsome-foods-raided-again-by-swat/
They just won’t leave us alone.
If they really want to do some research, they ought to follow 2 groups of kids/adults, one drinking raw milk and one drinking the toxic garbage Big Ag calls “milk”. Let’s evaluate each group’s health, how many times they go to the doctor/get sick, health of teeth, etc. THAT would be the true test of which “milk” is really safe!
Awesome to hear that they actually said is ok for folks! What a confusing(errr confused) organization the USDA is…
I’m assuming you all know the risks of consuming raw milk during pregnancy. One of the saddest funerals of my life was a infant miscarried at 6 months with a Listeria infection directly transmitted through raw milk.
Actually, raw milk is probably the safest thing a woman can consume during pregnancy. People, seek out raw milk drinkers and listen to their testimonials, no tooth decay, never been to a doctor, great health, so many diseases healed. You do not absorb the minerals with pasteurized, the real world evidence shows this. I highly doubt this listeria story is true, but even if it’s one of the 42, balance that against the millions with health benefits, lives saved…
We have our own milking goats and love the freedom of being able to enjoy fresh raw,naturally homogenized milk from these animals. We can only hope that our government will see eye to eye on the truth of the safety in digesting raw milk from cows and goats.
It is really sad that they had to put so much effort into determining if it is safe or not – I mean 42 people get sick a year? That’s pathetic. Too bad they didn’t have a study that showed how many people get sick from the stuff they call milk in the supermarket.
So good to hear it verified! I never got sick drinking raw milk and spooning raw cream onto my carrots.
However, I and my son got a weird rash of pimples after drinking raw goats milk from a friend. When I looked into it I reached the conclusion that her hygiene wasn’t excellent and that the goats may have been staph carriers, as our rash looked awfully staphyloccocal. This bears out the fact that raw dairies need to be scrupulous about hygiene – as we were in the old days before all those nasty antimicrobal sprays!
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Is the government ever right with their actions? Seriously?! I don’t drink raw milk as I don’t do dairy outside of butter and whey here and there. But, these stats are great news!
Thanks to “jane” who posted a comment in the Anchorage Daily news i found your site! http://www.adn.com/2011/08/12/2012894/know-the-risks-before-drinking.html
Yes, I do like it (my milk) raw! We (our fam) also like as much local Alaska grown food we can eat, grow, share. We also shop @ Safeway, Fred Meyer, Costco, and try to make the best choices. having that choice is most important.
I am sorry for those who have had poor — or even tragic — experiences with raw milk. However, I find the anecdotal anti-raw-milk comments irrelevant. What we raw-milk proponents are NOT saying is that there is ZERO risk — there are 42 cases yearly of poisoning from contaminated raw milk — we’re saying that the risk is INFINITESIMAL compared to other food-borne illnesses. It’s sad that a few can have a terrible experience with something and the bad word spreads like wildfire. But what these numbers are saying is that, in spite of the few reports of illness from raw milk, the RISK is extremely low.
Unfortunately the govt has been slandering raw milk for a long long time. The pharmaceutical cartel makes billions off a sickly, demineralized population. Raw milk would heal so many. I doubt the “tragic” stories here are genuine. Out in the real world I only hear good things about it. It IS accurate to say there’s no risk, because it reduces the risk of serious illness and miscarriage, ie drinking it is safer than not drinking it.