IAFP Timely Topics Symposium - Raw Milk Consumption: An Emerging Public Health Threat?

February 17, 2009
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

DoubleTree Hotel Crystal City
300 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, Virginia

This one-day symposium explored the scientific risk and public health issues related to the human consumption of raw milk in the developed world. The presentations and panels targeted food safety professionals, state and federal regulators, Congressional and state legislative staffers, and anyone with an interest in improving the safety of the food supply. Subjects addressed included current illness and outbreak data, dairy industry food safety practices, health claims related to raw milk consumption, legal and regulatory challenges as well as consumer perceptions.

The dangers of raw milk consumption can be documented to the early 1900s; in some parts of the U.S. and Europe one out of every two babies died from consuming raw milk contaminated with human pathogenic microorganisms. Slowly, cities, counties, and eventually states adopted laws and regulations prohibiting the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption. A federal regulation (21 CFR 1240.61) that prohibited the interstate sale of raw milk for direct human consumption was adopted in 1987. As a result of pasteurization, the prevalence of foodborne illness associated with dairy products has been reduced to less than 1 percent of total outbreaks, although a very large percentage of the population consumes these products. However, raw milk sales for direct human consumption are allowed in 28 states, with the number growing each year due to legislative pressures from raw milk advocates. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that from 1998 to May of 2005, there were 45 outbreaks that implicated unpasteurized milk, or cheese made from unpasteurized milk. These outbreaks accounted for 1,007 illnesses, 104 hospitalizations, and two deaths. Recent research investigations have shown that raw milk may contain a diverse array of pathogenic microorganisms (e.g. Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, Mycobacterium, Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, and others).

Advocates for raw milk consumption use messages such as a "consumer's right to choose", "natures best food with miracle properties that prevent or cure many diseases", and "can be produced safely from healthy animals" to promote their product as more healthful than pasteurized milk. In addition, raw milk advocates suggest that raw milk consumption is safe due to the perceived presence of active natural antimicrobial agents in raw milk.