What is Raw Milk?

[elektra]

Working in food safety has made me very wary of certain things and raw milk is one of them.

I don't work in food safety but my SIL does. She works for the FDA doing testing of food samples and is always working overtime whenever there is an e coli outbreak or whatever.
She refuses to drink raw milk or unpasturized juices. She has told me horror stories about bacteria in those types of foods- it's like a breeding ground for it I guess.

I would try milk straight from a cow if I was on a farm, but the risks outweigh the benefits of raw milk all the time for me or my kids.
We still get our milk from a local dairy, but I'll take the extra processing.

[daisymommy]

The farm and cow conditions and milking standards that are allowed for milk that is intended to be pasteurized are horrible. That's why the milk is so contaminated. Because everyone knows it will be "cooked" and the bacteria will (usually) all be killed off. So there aren't many regulations as to what cannot be there pre-pasteurization. It's like Oh-well, we'll just clean it later...

But it's a whole other ball game when you're working with a farmer who know's that everything must be scrupulously clean from the get go, and the cows raised in healthy conditions, on grass--not poop cages, and eating a diet that doesn't case illness (which grain does). Then you get healthy clean milk that is not full of bacteria.

If you look at pictures of farms where people who have gotten sick from raw milk, no way in the world would I drink milk from those farms! People have to be pretty dumb to do that. The number one rule is visit the farm, and know your farmer. Check up on him, see that the conditions are clean & hygenic for yourself, request test results.

[JBaxter]

The farm and cow conditions and milking standards that are allowed for milk that is intended to be pasteurized are horrible. That's why the milk is so contaminated. Because everyone knows it will be "cooked" and the bacteria will (usually) all be killed off. So there aren't many regulations as to what cannot be there pre-pasteurization. It's like Oh-well, we'll just clean it later...

But it's a whole other ball game when you're working with a farmer who know's that everything must be scrupulously clean from the get go, and the cows raised in healthy conditions, on grass--not poop cages, and eating a diet that doesn't case illness (which grain does). Then you get healthy clean milk that is not full of bacteria.

If you look at pictures of farms where people who have gotten sick from raw milk, no way in the world would I drink milk from those farms! People have to be pretty dumb to do that. The number one rule is visit the farm, and know your farmer. Check up on him, see that the conditions are clean & hygenic for yourself, request test results.

I agree. I have been to the farm where my milk comes from seen his his milking parlor and milk storage area as well as his pasture. He also has free range chickens and make his own cheese. He has his organic certification and has his testing schedule/results available at request.

[AnnieW625]

I am picky about milk, and I am all about buying local (meaning within a 5 to 6 hr. radius of us because we live in a concrete jungle per se south of the Grapevine in So Cal). I get the same brand, Rockview Farms that Elektra does through a drive thru dairy or at Trader Joe's (it's the maker of their dairy products too; I matched the plant codes). I just found this dairy whose products will be sold at new market (Henry's Marketplace) near me called Organic Pastures so I think I will try it just to see what it is like once the store opens.

Jeana, or Daisy at what age did you start giving raw milk to your kids?

[rhettsmom]

http://www.rawmilk.org/default.php

[chottumommy]

I buy raw milk whenever its available (about $6 a gallon). Most times, we visit when the farmer is milking (in the afternoon) because DS loves watching the cow being milked.

However I boil milk on a low flame because that is how I have always had milk in India. I love the taste of boiled raw milk after removing the fat on the top. I make butter and ghee with the cream and guard it with my life. The taste of the butter and ghee is heavenly.

DS loves the milk too especially with some saffron and a tiny hint of honey in it.

[YouAreTheFocus]

...Raw milk may contain e coli, staph, strep, rabies, tuberculosis, listeria, brucellosis and a host of other nasty bacteria. I don't think that it is worth taking the risk.

As this poster and others have said, I don't see the point of taking the risk. Just buy pasteurized NON-homogenized if you want the seperation. WF & TJ's both have cream top milk. There are also brands that are that are not ultra-pasteurized--this is like what is sold in europe.

"Ultra pasteurized came into being so that milk would have a longer shelf life in the store. It is heated to 280 degrees F for about 2 seconds. Regular pasteurization heats milk to 161 degrees F for about 15 seconds. Milk that is ultra pasteurized tends to have more of a cooked flavor. Some consumers feel that the proteins have been altered too much by the ultra pasteurization process."

[Corie]

Thank you so much for the great information!!

[brittone2]

Not wishing to really enter into debate and Nak, but we do raw milk and have for some time.

In terms of food borne illness risk, I got salmonella through tahini sold at whole foods during the great peanut butter debacle a few years ago. I was super sick for 8 days. Salad bars, peanut butter, salsa and guacamole, sprouts, green onions, and spinach have all had high rates of food borne illness associated with them in recent years. Restaurant salsa and guac have pretty high rates of pathogens. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...lsa14_ST_N.htm

I don't do raw while pg and we don't really *drink* a ton of milk. I also use raw cream in my coffee.

I would never even remotely consider raw milk from a commercial dairy. I have had two great sources through the years (two different states, one where it is legal to sell and one where it was not legal). I feel fine with the decision for my own family but it is something you'd want to inform yourself about before considering.

We love that the fat separates fwiw. Just shake up the bottle before using.

[daisymommy]

And I don't know anybody that buys raw milk for the cream separating reason. It's for the health benefits that only come from raw milk, as well as the fact that many people cannot tolerate pasteurized milk, but do very well on raw milk.

Just didn't want anyone feeling confused as to why on earth someone would risk it just for the cream.

And fwiw, every single year there is at least one major pasteurized milk recall. There were 2 in 1985 which sickened over 200,000 people, and killed many. So just because you buy it in the grocery store doesn't guarantee it's safety either.