DETROIT – Raw milk, or unpasteurized milk, is a fairly niche product, but it has been gaining popularity across the U.S. in recent years. Health experts, on the other hand, continue to emphasize how risky raw milk can be.
Unpasteurized milk and products made from it, like cheese, are considered a health risk. It’s actually illegal in most states, including in Michigan, to sell raw milk products directly to consumers.
So, why is raw milk dangerous?
Unpasteurized, or raw, milk has not undergone a process called pasteurization, which was introduced in the late 19th century. During the pasteurization process, milk is heated to a certain temperature for a period of time in order to kill off any bacteria.
Unpasteurized milk and milk products can carry germs like campylobacter, cryptosporidium, E. coli, listeria, brucella, and salmonella. Those germs can lead to harmful illnesses.
The CDC says raw milk is one of the riskiest foods to consume.
Health experts are particularly concerned about raw milk consumption at a time when the bird flu, aka avian influenza, has been reported in the U.S. The virus was impacting both birds and cows in the U.S. in early 2024, which could impact people, since the bird flu can spread to humans, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.
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“People can get ill from the same source and product of raw milk they drank previously -- milk that someone consumes from the same farm over a duration of time may not always be safe,” the MDHHS said this week in a press release. “Raw milk can get contaminated in many ways. While good safety practices can reduce the chance of germs getting in raw milk, they cannot eliminate risk.”
Earlier this year, several people were infected with E. coli after eating unpasteurized milk cheese made by a brand sold nationwide.
Raw cheddar cheese produced by brand RAW FARM was linked to at least 10 E. coli infections out of four states in the western U.S. in February -- though the CDC said then that the “true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported.”
To help prevent any illnesses related to raw milk consumption, health experts urge people to buy pasteurized products instead, and to be sure to refrigerate milk and dairy products at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.
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