raw milk is banned because of the potential of illness. - Edit 1
Before modification by LadyLorraine at 05/11/2010 06:21:02 PM
Yes, if you buy your raw milk direct from the supplier, AND the supplier's milk is pathogen free, AND you drink it before it goes sour (quicker than pasteurized milk), raw milk is fine and dandy.
But if a single piece of the chain goes wrong, you have a serious public health issue, particularly if you're talking about a large supplier.
And let me ASSURE you. Pathogen-free milk is nearly impossible. I swear to god every other bacteria we talk about in vet school that affects cows can be passed in the milk, and some of them are commensal bacteria, and there are even parasites that can be passed through the milk (Not a cow example, but there's been cases of Toxoplasma being passed through unpasteurized goat's milk). This is not an industry-only problem that organic cows are somehow immune to. Pasture-raised cows are actually MORE prone to parasitic infection, actually, which can predispose to other illness.
If you feel that we'd be better off merely regulating the sale of raw milk instead of banning it, that's fair enough. But to disregard the serious public health issues surrounding raw milk is irresponsible and ignorant.
But if a single piece of the chain goes wrong, you have a serious public health issue, particularly if you're talking about a large supplier.
And let me ASSURE you. Pathogen-free milk is nearly impossible. I swear to god every other bacteria we talk about in vet school that affects cows can be passed in the milk, and some of them are commensal bacteria, and there are even parasites that can be passed through the milk (Not a cow example, but there's been cases of Toxoplasma being passed through unpasteurized goat's milk). This is not an industry-only problem that organic cows are somehow immune to. Pasture-raised cows are actually MORE prone to parasitic infection, actually, which can predispose to other illness.
If you feel that we'd be better off merely regulating the sale of raw milk instead of banning it, that's fair enough. But to disregard the serious public health issues surrounding raw milk is irresponsible and ignorant.