RFK Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow are big fans of raw milk — but it's seriously unsafe
Earlier this month, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) will be the next US Health Secretary. But many of RFK's policies, like his promotion of raw milk, aren't backed by health experts —and could even be dangerous.
Whilst pasteurised milk undergoes a heating process that kills bacteria and viruses, raw milk can lead to a number of serious health risks, including infections like salmonella, E coli, bird flu, brucella, campylobacter and listeria.
It's for this exact reason that US health agencies have warned of the dangers of consuming raw milk, yet RFK has said he ‘only drinks’ raw milk.
‘FDA’s war on public health is about to end,’ he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on October 25. ‘This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can't be patented by Pharma.’
And the politician isn't the drink's only famous fan: speaking on a podcast earlier this year, Gwyneth Paltrow admitted she adds raw milk to her coffee every morning. ‘I drink raw farm dairy, and there are schools of thought that say drinking raw milk is better, because once you process it it makes dairy harder to tolerate,’said Paltrow.
While trad-wife influencers like Hannah Neeleman (@ballerinafarm) portray this controversial dairy product as a wholesome, homesteader choice.
Those who don’t live in sanctioned states are securing their supply in more suspect ways. In New York State, for example, it’s illegal to sell raw milk beyond farm premises. (In 1987, the FDA prohibited the sale of the stuff across state lines.)
One source (who asked to remain anonymous for this story), says she buys contraband raw milk in Brooklyn. The seller pulls up in an unmarked insulated van in one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the borough, where a throng of thirsty people wait for him. After cash changes hands, he dispenses raw milk so thick, you could scoop it from the plastic deli containers it's packed in.
But raw milk isn't safe — in fact, health experts are begging people not to drink it. Here's what ‘raw’ means and why it's not advisable to consume unpasteurised milk.
Meet the Experts: Darin Detwiler is an associate teaching professor of food policy at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions. Maya Feller is a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of Eating from Our Roots and co-host of Slate’s Well, Now Podcast.
What is raw milk?
Raw milk is unpasteurised milk. It comes straight from the animal — usually cows, sheep, or goats, and less commonly, camels or donkeys. The milk is ‘raw’ in that it hasn’t been pasteurised (heated to kill the germs) like the milk you find at the supermarket, which is required to go through the pasteurisation process, per FDA regulations.
Why is this distinction important? ‘Pasteurised milk removes harmful germs and bacteria through a process where the milk is heated to a specific temperature,’ according to Maya Feller, founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. ‘This reduces the risk of foodborne illness.’
What is pasteurisation?
Pasteurisation is a way of extending the shelf life of food by using heat to kill harmful bacteria.
Humanity owes a big merci to the French scientist Louis Pasteur, who made this eponymous discovery in 1864. Thanks to his invention, people can enjoy foods like dairy, packaged juice, deli meats, wine, beer, and kombucha without them spoiling right away. It has been used by American dairy farms on a large scale since 1947.
The most common method of pasteurisation in the United States is High-Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurisation, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. This process uses metal plates and hot water to raise the temperature of milk to at least 70 degrees Celsius (161° F) for no less than 15 seconds, followed by rapid cooling.
Before pasteurisation was widely used, people were getting seriously ill with diseases linked to harmful bacteria found in milk (think: typhoid fever, scarlet fever, tuberculosis).
Today, for every 2 billion servings of pasteurised milk or milk products consumed in the United States, only about one person gets sick, according to an FDA evaluation. Many studies have backed the health and safety of pasteurised milk.
What are the dangers of raw milk?
Television and the movies — and increasingly, social media — often portray milk straight from the cow as a wholesome, pure drink. But the realities of food hygiene paint a more sordid picture.
‘Raw milk and its products pose a tangible risk to consumer health,’ says Darin Detwiler, an associate teaching professor of food policy at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions. ‘That’s why many health organisations and food safety experts advocate for pasteurisation as a crucial step in ensuring safe consumption.’
But how big of a risk is it — is he talking about a little tummy ache or something more serious? Detwiler says the risks are unequivocally significant.
‘Raw milk can contain dangerous microorganisms such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can cause severe foodborne illnesses,’ he says.
If you consume contaminated raw milk, the effects can be far worse than an upset stomach.
‘They can include severe gastrointestinal distress, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, kidney failure, and even life-threatening conditions such as sepsis,’ Detwiler says.
‘In some cases, these illnesses can result in long-term health complications, such as kidney damage or neurological disorders, and can even be fatal, particularly for vulnerable populations.’
Bovine tuberculosis, which is spread from raw milk, can require up to a year of antibiotics to fully cure. In some cases, illness from food pathogens can result in hospitalisation or death.
Detwiler knew a family whose toddler-age daughter got sick from a pathogen found in her raw milk. The girl was hospitalised and did survive — however, ‘she now will never walk, talk, or experience the same quality of life that she would have had she not become sick from unpasteurised milk,’ he says.
The bird flu and raw milk connection
You may have read about the bird flu virus infecting dairy cows – where live traces of H5N1 bird flu were found in batches of raw milk sold at retail stores across California.
The Telegraph reported that 402 dairy herds in California had tested positive for bird flu – the largest outbreak in the US since the virus started spreading among cattle late last year.
‘While bird flu (avian influenza) is primarily associated with poultry, the potential for cross-contamination in dairy operations, especially those that do not follow strict biosecurity measures, cannot be overlooked,’ Detwiler says.
Bird flu viruses can survive in various environments and might contaminate water, feed, or equipment used in dairy farms, he adds.
‘Although the direct risk of bird flu through raw milk is lower compared to other bacterial pathogens, it's crucial to maintain rigorous hygiene practices in all aspects of food production to prevent the spread of any infectious agents, including bird flu,’ he says.
Feller agrees. ‘Currently, the CDC specifically advises against raw milk consumption as there are increased risks with the Bird Flu A(H5N1) that can spread and has caused outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows.’
What are some raw milk benefits?
The risks associated with unpasteurised milk sound pretty horrific — so you’re probably wondering, ‘Why do people drink raw milk?!’
Some advocates say that pasteurisation ruins the flavour of milk and that the raw version tastes richer, sweeter, and creamier. It’s not dissimilar to tasting fresh-squeezed juice versus the stuff out of a carton at the supermarket.
Among some raw milk obsessives, there’s a belief that this unprocessed form of milk is more nutritious, easier to digest, and good for gut health. Many of them believe it's better for you than pasteurised milk, particularly in helping to prevent allergies and ailments such as asthma and eczema. But is there any truth behind raw milk's health halo?
‘There is some research looking at the nutritional quality of raw milk,’ says Feller. ‘Preclinical animal studies have found that mice who were sensitised to raw milk have fewer allergic symptoms in comparison to mice that were sensitised to pasteurised milk.’
She cautions that further research, specifically human studies, is needed to substantiate the claims that raw milk helps with allergies and is easier to digest for people who are lactose intolerant.
‘Pasteurisation is important for people who are immune-compromised, and the process is known to reduce the risk of foodborne illness significantly for the general population,’ she says.
Does pasteurised milk have the same nutritional benefits as raw milk?
‘Raw milk and pasteurised milk have similar nutritional values,’ says Feller. ‘Some water-soluble vitamins, B1, B2, B12, vitamin C, and folate, decrease during pasteurisation; however, these vitamins were not present in significant amounts prior to pasteurisation.’
How much raw milk must be consumed to be a real risk?
If you’re curious about how it tastes, can you just have a tiny bit of raw milk and be okay?
‘The amount of raw milk (or of any contaminated food) required to pose a health risk is not easily quantifiable,’ Detwiler says. ‘Even a small amount can contain enough pathogens to cause illness, depending on the contamination level and the individual's susceptibility.’
He adds that even a thimbleful of raw milk can still expose you to harmful bacteria, and there is no safe threshold that guarantees you won't get sick. ‘Pathogens do not need to be present in large quantities to cause severe illness,’ he says.
His advice? ‘Consuming any amount of raw milk is considered risky and not recommended by food safety experts.’
What are some symptoms of sickness from drinking raw milk?
The list of symptoms isn't pretty.
‘Most commonly, bacteria in raw milk can cause vomiting, diarrhoea (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain, fever, headache and body aches,’ the New York State Department of Health says.
‘Some people who drank raw milk have developed severe or even life-threatening diseases, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure, stroke, and even death.’
Is it just the elderly and children who are at risk?
You might be tempted to think an otherwise healthy adult can safely drink raw milk. Detwiler halts that train of thought.
‘While children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness from consuming raw milk, even healthy adults are not immune to the dangers,’ he says.
Healthy individuals can still contract serious infections, which can lead to severe symptoms and long-term health consequences. ‘Foodborne pathogens do not discriminate, and raw milk can cause illness in anyone, regardless of their age or health status,’ he says.
What if I bought the raw milk from a very good dairy farm that I trust?
‘Buying raw milk from a reputable farm with good hygiene practices may reduce the risk of contamination, but it does not eliminate it,’ Detwiler says.
‘Even well-managed farms can have bacteria present in the environment, equipment, or from the cows themselves.’
Pathogens can be introduced during milking, handling, or storage, and the absence of pasteurisation means there’s no kill step to eliminate them.
‘Trust in the farm’s reputation does not equate to a guarantee of safety when it comes to raw milk,’ he says.
What if I heated raw milk? Would it be safe to drink?
Detwiler bursts that bubble with some sharp scientific facts: ‘Heating raw milk to a temperature that is sufficient to froth it for a latte does not necessarily kill all the harmful bacteria.’
Pasteurisation involves heating milk to a specific temperature (at least 161°F) for a set amount of time (15 seconds) to effectively kill pathogens. ‘Simply warming milk at home typically does not meet these conditions and may not eliminate all the dangerous microorganisms,’ he says.
What about dairy products made from raw milk (eg yoghurt, butter, or cheese) — are these safe to consume?
‘They can still pose risks unless they have been aged or treated to kill bacteria,’ says Detwiler. ‘While some cheeses made from raw milk undergo processes that reduce bacterial risks, it is generally recommended to avoid consuming any raw milk products to minimise the risk of foodborne illness.’
‘I do not recommend that my patients consume raw milk,’ Feller says.
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