The health benefits of consuming raw (unpasteurized) milk are largely anecdotal and not substantiated by robust evidence. Claims regarding improved nutrition, enhanced taste, or health benefits such as reduced asthma or atopy are not consistently supported in the medical literature, and pasteurized milk confers equivalent nutritional value and health benefits without additional risk.[1][2][3][4]
The risks of consuming raw milk are well established and significant. Raw milk is a frequent source of foodborne illness outbreaks, primarily due to contamination with pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, and Brucella species. These infections can result in severe illness, hospitalization, and death, particularly among children, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults.[1][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Epidemiological data show that unpasteurized milk causes vastly more illnesses and hospitalizations than pasteurized milk, despite being consumed by a minority of the population.[7][9] The American Academy of Pediatrics explicitly recommends against the consumption of raw milk due to these risks.[1]
In summary, the risks of consuming raw (unpasteurized) milk—namely, exposure to serious foodborne pathogens—far outweigh any purported health benefits, which remain unproven in evidence-based studies.[1][2][3][4]
References
[1] Consumption of Raw or Unpasteurized Milk and Milk Products by Pregnant Women and Children. Committee on Infectious Diseases, Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2014;133(1):175-9. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-3502.
[2] Drivers and Hazards of Consumption of Unpasteurised Bovine Milk and Milk Products in High-Income Countries. de Klerk JN, Robinson PA. PeerJ. 2022;10:e13426. doi:10.7717/peerj.13426.
[3] Unpasteurized Milk. The Hazards of a Health Fetish. Potter ME, Kaufmann AF, Blake PA, Feldman RA. JAMA. 1984;252(15):2048-52. doi:10.1001/jama.252.15.2048.
[4] Food Safety Hazards Associated With Consumption of Raw Milk. Oliver SP, Boor KJ, Murphy SC, Murinda SE. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 2009;6(7):793-806. doi:10.1089/fpd.2009.0302.
[5] Prevalence of Listeria Monocytogenes, Salmonella Spp., Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli, and Campylobacter Spp. In Raw Milk in the United States Between 2000 and 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Williams EN, Van Doren JM, Leonard CL, Datta AR. Journal of Food Protection. 2023;86(2):100014. doi:10.1016/j.jfp.2022.11.006.
[6] Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Linked to Commercially Distributed Raw Milk – California and Four Other States, September 2023-March 2024. Weinstein E, Lamba K, Bond C, et al. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2025;74(27):433-438. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7427a1.
[7] Outbreak-Related Disease Burden Associated With Consumption of Unpasteurized Cow’s Milk and Cheese, United States, 2009-2014. Costard S, Espejo L, Groenendaal H, Zagmutt FJ. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2017;23(6):957-964. doi:10.3201/eid2306.151603.
[8] Disease Outbreaks Linked to Pasteurized and Unpasteurized Dairy Products in Canada and the United States: A Systematic Review. Sebastianski M, Bridger NA, Featherstone RM, Robinson JL. Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique. 2022;113(4):569-578. doi:10.17269/s41997-022-00614-y.
[9] Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Linked to Unpasteurised Milk and Relationship to Changes in State Laws – United States, 1998-2018. Koski L, Kisselburgh H, Landsman L, et al. Epidemiology and Infection. 2022;150:e183. doi:10.1017/S0950268822001649.
[10] Gastrointestinal Infections Caused by Consumption of Raw Drinking Milk in England & Wales, 1992-2017. Adams N, Byrne L, Edge J, et al. Epidemiology and Infection. 2019;147:e281. doi:10.1017/S095026881900164X.
[11] Bacterial Hazard Identification and Exposure Assessment of Raw Milk Consumption in Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia. Gume B, Berhanu L, Kassa T, et al. BMC Microbiology. 2023;23(1):166. doi:10.1186/s12866-023-02910-0.