The Obama administration has rejected a petition that requested the government make selling raw milk across state lines legal. The petition was signed by 6,078 people who believe that raw milk is safe and healthier for human beings than pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized milk. Currently, raw milk is legal to sell in 30 states, but cannot be transported across state lines for sale to the public.
From 1987 to September 2010, there have been many food poisoning outbreaks associated with raw milk and raw milk product consumption that caused more than 2600 illnesses, 269 hospitalizations, 6 stillbirths, 2 miscarriages, and 3 deaths. Almost 80% of these outbreaks involved children who were under the age of 20. And since 95% of food poisoning outbreaks are never reported, that number is probably much higher.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics all agree that there are significant health risks with drinking raw milk. Claims about raw milk health benefits have not been scientifically proven. The CDC considers raw milk one of the most dangerous food products, and says it is responsible for three times more hospitalizations than any other foodborne illness outbreak.
Raw Milk by the Numbers
Less than 1% of milk sold in this country is unpasteurized. The number of outbreaks that may have occurred if raw milk was more widely available could be staggering. Persons in high risk groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, infants, children, and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk from these foodborne illnesses, but even healthy people can become seriously ill or die if they drink contaminated raw milk.
Milk can be contaminated in several ways when cows are milked:
- Cow feces contaminating the milk
- Mastitis, which is infection of the udder
- Bovine tuberculosis and other diseases
- Insects and rodents living in barns
- Cross-contamination by humans who don’t exercise sanitary standards
- Cross-contamination by improperly cleaned equipment
Bugs that can be found in raw milk include the bacteria E. coli 0157, Campylobacter, Brucella, Mycobacterium bovis, Yersinia, Listeria, Salmonella, and the parasite Giardia. All of these germs can cause serious disease and death, including hemolytic uremic syndrome. Following sanitary practices, grass-fed animals, and using good hygiene practices do not eliminate the risk of bacterial contamination in any situation; they only reduce it.
Researchers at Cornell University found that pathogenic bacteria and viruses are present in up to 12.6% of raw milk samples. And remember, animals that look healthy can still be infected with disease-causing bacteria.
Illnesses that can be caused by drinking raw milk include:
- Diphtheria
- Scarlet fever
- Septic sore throat
- Typhoid fever
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
- Undulent fever
- Q fever
- Listeriosis
- Crohn’s disease
While it’s true that people have contracted food poisoning from consuming pasteurized milk and pasteurized milk products, that does not mean that raw milk is safer. All dairy farms should practice good sanitation standards. Pasteurization is not an excuse to relax standards.
The Petition
WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Legalize raw milk sales on a federal level
Give the people the freedom to choose whether drinking raw milk products is right for them by enabling the legalized sale and distribution of raw milk products across all states.
There are substantial health benefits from raw milk that are not available in pasteurized milk products.
Many of the nutritional, anti-microbial and immune-enhancing components of raw milk are greatly reduced in effectiveness by pasteurization, and completely destroyed by ultra-pasteurization.
The risks associated with drinking raw milk are greatly exaggerated. Compared to raw milk there are 515 times more illnesses from L-mono due to deli meats and 29 times more illness from L-mono due to pasteurized milk.
The Administration’s Response
Thank you for signing a petition about legalizing raw milk and for participating in the We the People platform on WhiteHouse.gov. We appreciate consumer concerns on food issues and understand the importance of letting consumers make their own food choices.
This Administration believes that food safety policy should be based on science. In this case, we support pasteurization to protect the safety of the milk supply because the health risks associated with raw milk are well documented.
Pasteurization of milk was adopted decades ago as a basic public health measure to kill dangerous bacteria and largely eliminate the risk of getting sick from one of the most important staples of the American diet. In 1987, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a regulation prohibiting the interstate sale of raw milk to reduce the number of illnesses and outbreaks associated with its consumption.
In recent years, some Americans have rejected pasteurization in favor of raw (or unpasteurized) milk, citing a range of taste, nutritional, and health benefits they believe are associated with raw milk consumption, as well as a general preference for unprocessed food.
As a science-based regulatory agency, the FDA looks to the scientific literature for information on benefits and risks associated with raw milk. While the nutritional and health benefits of raw milk consumption have not been scientifically substantiated, the health risks are clear. Since 1987, there have been 143 reported outbreaks of illness – some involving miscarriages, still births, kidney failure and deaths – associated with consumption of raw milk and raw milk products that were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli. The FDA’s position on raw milk is in concert with the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatricians.
The FDA does not regulate intrastate raw milk sales, or selling raw milk within a state, which is left up to the individual states. Today, 20 states explicitly prohibit the intrastate sale of raw milk in some form and 30 allow it. FDA bans interstate raw milk sales, or selling raw milk across state lines. The FDA has never taken, nor does it intend to take, enforcement action against an individual who purchases and transports raw milk across state lines solely for his or her own personal consumption.
