A recent cheese recall and an investigation into a raw milk farm in California are revealing that foodborne illnesses associated with raw milk products are hurting some of America's youngest consumers. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. Its consumption has seen a recent resurgence among some wellness groups, including U.S.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has touted its supposed benefits. He previously criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its "aggressive suppression" of the product.
However, medical professionals are more wary of the trend, and a recent recall from the FDA and an investigation into a California farm selling raw goat milk are showing that consuming unpasteurized milk has risks that can cause life-threatening impacts. Newsweek reached out to the FDA by email on Wednesday for comment. As for the benefits, the Raw Milk Institute compared raw milk to breast milk, saying that raw milk contains "a wide variety of essential nutrients, fats, proteins, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals, all in a natural form which is most easily utilized by the body." "In addition, raw milk facilitates production of lactase enzyme in the intestinal tract, allowing many people who are lactose intolerant to digest raw milk with no problems," the website said.
The Raw Milk Institute, a group calling for universal access to the raw milk market, claims that consuming raw milk leads to lower rates of asthma, allergies, eczema, fevers and respiratory infections. It also says that raw milk can help with gut health and antibiotic recovery. However, the FDA disputes these claims.
The FDA warns that raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. "As a science-based, public health regulatory agency, FDA strongly supports the application of effective measures, such as pasteurization, to protect the safety of the food supply and maintain public confidence in such important, healthy staples of the diet as milk," the FDA said in a webpage about the risks of consuming raw milk. Raw milk again made headlines this week after a multistate E. coli outbreak was linked to Graziers raw milk cheeses sold by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company.
The impacted cheeses included medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack sold in 8-ounce and 16-ounce sizes, as well as in 5-pound loaves. According to the FDA's recent update, 13 people have gotten sick in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Michigan. Over half the illnesses were in children 5 years old and younger.
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