Con

“Unlike milk you buy at the supermarket, raw milk isn’t pasteurized. When milk is pasteurized, it’s heated to 161°F for just 20 seconds. While that doesn’t affect milk’s nutritional value, it does kill off disease-causing bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli. Illnesses caused by these bacteria can range from diarrhea and vomiting to paralysis, kidney failure and stroke.

Even if raw milk comes from a small, local or organic farm, it’s not necessarily safe. The most hygienic dairy farms are still breeding grounds for bacteria that thrive on cow’s skin, as well as dirt, rodents and feces. When even the smallest amounts of bacteria from these sources pass into milk, they quickly grow and multiply, so laboratory tests can’t always detect them. And you can’t tell if milk is contaminated by drinking, smelling or sipping it either.

When it comes to dairy, a little processing is a good thing. Stick with pasteurized milk and stay safe.”

Jan. 5, 2017