Raw milk vs. pasteurized milk: What you need to know for your safety

Today, clean eating is more than just a trend, it’s a lifestyle. If you’re a clean eating enthusiast and try to eat minimally processed fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, healthy fats and dairy, you might wonder if you should switch to raw milk. 

Raw, unprocessed milk is gaining popularity among those eager to embrace foods in their most authentic form. However, it's important to know that there are potential risks associated with consuming unpasteurized products like raw milk. While we typically think of cows' milk in relation to raw milk, it can also come from sheep, goats or any other animal.

Pasteurized milk is a clean, whole food that’s safe and nutritious. At Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), our 9,500 farmer-owners are committed to sustainable farming, rigorous quality control and taking great care of their cows to bring you high-quality, nutritious milk that everyone can enjoy. Our farmers’ milk goes on to be pasteurized and transformed into nearly every type of dairy product you can think of.

Whether you're a seasoned clean eater, just starting to explore this lifestyle or have been curious about all the hype around raw milk, it's essential to weigh the benefits and risks of raw milk before adding it to your diet.

So, what is raw milk? And, what is pasteurization?

Pasteurization, a process developed by Louis Pasteur in 1864, is a simple, effective method that kills harmful bacteria like E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria and Salmonella without affecting the taste or nutritional value of milk. The process involves heating milk to a high temperature for a short time, or a low temperature for a longer time, effectively killing bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. Raw milk is unpasteurized milk that hasn’t gone through the pasteurization process.

There’s a reason milk has been pasteurized for decades

Milk wasn’t always safe. In the early 1900s, as the population grew and became more urbanized, unsanitary conditions and transportation practices led to contamination and the spread of foodborne diseases related to drinking raw milk. 

At the time, one out of four foodborne illnesses was directly related to dairy consumption. As more people got sick from milk and public awareness grew, pasteurization became a standard practice to ensure milk's safety.

Thanks to pasteurization, milk is one of the safest foods we can enjoy today. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Grade A Milk Safety Program, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024, introduced the requirement for pasteurizing milk in 1924. With these quality standards in place, for every 2 billion servings of milk or milk products consumed in the United States today, less than one person gets sick. That’s quite a change over 100 years!

Both FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture continue to reinforce through extensive and repeated testing that pasteurization is fully effective in inactivating viruses like H5N1 — just another reason to feel good about enjoying pasteurized milk.

Is it safe to drink raw milk?

Think of drinking raw milk as a gamble. While raw milk could potentially be safe to drink, it could also make you sick.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have consistently advised against consuming raw milk or raw milk products, labeling them as some of the riskiest foods you can eat.

Drinking raw milk can potentially expose you to harmful germs that pose serious health risks. This is especially true for vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with weakened immune systems. 

Raw milk is more likely to cause foodborne illnesses that can lead to hospitalization. Symptoms of foodborne illness from raw milk can include diarrhea, stomach cramping and vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause paralysis, kidney failure, stroke or even death.

Common myths about raw milk

There are lots of raw milk questions that cause confusion. Here are some myths and facts. 

Myth: Raw milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk

Fact: Raw milk is not more nutritious than pasteurized milk. Pasteurization does not destroy the nutrients in milk. Both raw and pasteurized milk have similar nutritional benefits, including 13 essential nutrients like high-quality protein and calcium. 

Myth: Raw milk can cure lactose intolerance

Fact: Raw milk can’t cure lactose intolerance because lactose intolerance is caused by an insufficient production of the enzyme needed to break down lactose. Lactose is present in both raw milk and pasteurized milk at the same concentration, and pasteurization does not change the concentration of lactose. 

Myth: Raw milk is safer if it comes from healthy animals

Fact: Milk from healthy animals can still harbor harmful bacteria. And, even if your local farm follows good safety practices, those steps simply reduce the chance of milk contamination, but don’t get rid of it entirely. 

What about raw milk cheese?

Raw milk cheese, made from unpasteurized milk, is another product gaining in popularity, with people saying they love it for its more complex flavor. 

Raw milk cheese has lower risks of foodborne illness than raw milk due to the aging process. However, even with aging, there is still a risk of contamination. The FDA requires raw milk cheese to be aged for at least 60 days.

Is raw milk legal?

Whether raw milk is legal varies widely by state. Some states allow the sale of raw milk in retail stores, some prohibit it entirely and others only permit on-farm sales. 

In most regions, supermarkets are not allowed to sell raw milk due to safety concerns. However, specialty stores or farmers' markets associated with local farms may sometimes sell raw milk. 

Federal law prohibits the interstate sale or distribution of raw milk. 

Your decision, your health

While raw milk might sound like a health trend worth trying, the risks are pretty serious. 

Pasteurization is a crucial process that ensures milk’s safety by killing harmful bacteria without significantly impacting its nutritional value. By knowing the risks of raw milk and the benefits of pasteurization, we can make smart choices.

And, if you’re looking for a delicious milk brand that’s local, farmer-owned and follows the highest-quality processes to produce pasteurized milk, check out our DFA farmer-owned brands.