Raw Milk Movement on the Rise Despite Health Officials’ Warnings

Milk is a staple of many diets. Whether it comes from a cow, goat, sheep, nut, or oat, the vitamins and nutrients milk gives to your body can be vital to your health. Before the 18th century, however, alternative milks weren’t an option; raw milk was the only milk you were going to find.

In 1864, French scientist Louis Pasteur developed a method of sanitization called pasteurization, a process that removes disease-causing bacteria and germs by heating milk to a certain temperature for differing amounts of time.

It wasn’t until more than a century later in 1987 that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued regulations against the interstate sale of raw milk, adopting the basic public health measure that pasteurization was necessary for safe milk consumption.

Four years previous to that federal law, in 1983, North Carolina had banned the sale of raw milk for human consumption, maintaining that ban to this day. In fact, North Carolina is one of few remaining states that still prohibits the sale of raw milk for human consumption.

If farms choose to sell raw milk today in North Carolina, it has to be clearly labeled as “Not for Human Consumption,” meant to be used only for animal feed.

Despite these laws, however, a raw milk movement is thriving in North Carolina and around the country. We talked to scientific experts as well as some folks who consume raw milk to learn more about the two sides of this discourse.

The raw milk movement continues to grow

Though the number of raw milk consumers is still relatively low — about 4.4% of U.S. adults (nearly 11 million people) reported drinking raw milk at least once each year in a 2022 FDA study while about 1% said they consume it each week — the interest in organic, sustainable food sources is growing.

Between March and May of this year, even as the bird flu virus was detected in American cattle for the first time, raw milk saw a 21% spike in weekly sales compared to previous months, a 65% increase compared with the same period in 2023.

Despite repeated warnings from the world’s leading health organizations — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call raw cow’s milk one of the “riskiest” foods a human can consume — a debate is kept alive by individuals touting raw milk’s value on social media.

Niharika Deekonda, founder of Vidhi Farm, a fresh milk supplier in Wingate, says she’s seen a noticeable shift in consumer preferences toward farm-to-table, which has increased interest in fresh, minimally processed products including milk.

More people want to feel a sense of control over where their food comes from, leading them to products straight from a farm, she said.

Raw milk advocates claim pasteurization strips milk of beneficial nutrients and enzymes while health officials say pasteurization is necessary to remove raw milk pathogens linked to foodborne illness.

Though organizations like the Raw Milk Institute are funding studies that they believe will show the benefits of raw milk, there is little scientific evidence currently backing their claims. Raw milk enthusiasts continue to push a body of anecdotal evidence over social media, however, which has strengthened the raw milk movement across the country.

Narcisse Greenway, a local raw milk consumer, started drinking raw milk four years ago after finding out her family’s house contained lead.

Greenway said she painstakingly researches every decision in her life and in her effort to avoid further lead exposure for her children, she found nutrition was one of the number one ways to prevent lead absorption.

She said she learned that in other countries that consume raw milk, the people had lower levels of lead poisoning even if they were exposed to higher levels of lead. Feeding her children raw milk helped take some stress off of her, she said, as she could take comfort in knowing they were getting the nutrients they needed.

The Raw Milk Institute’s website is full of testimonials claiming raw milk cured consumers of conditions like lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome while lowering diastolic blood pressure, balancing iron levels and more.

Greenway believes pasteurized milk strips away beneficial micronutrients and probiotics that are difficult to get from non-animal milk sources. She is convinced that the probiotics, in particular, have restored her gut health and rid her of all the symptoms of Crohn’s diagnosis that she struggled with before consuming raw milk regularly.

“While the perceived nutritional and health benefits of raw milk consumption have not been scientifically substantiated, the health risks are clear,” an FDA official told Queen City Nerve. “We have, and will continue to, urge consumers who purchase raw milk to understand the health risks involved.”

In the two decades between 1998 to 2018, the CDC documented more than 200 illness outbreaks traced to raw milk, which sickened more than 2,600 people and hospitalized more than 225.

These are risks that Deekonda says are made clear to customers at Vidhi Farm before buying or consuming their milk.

Although it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption in North Carolina, Vidhi Farm is able to work under a provision made possible by the 2018 Farm Act.* Because it is not illegal to consume your own cow’s raw milk, Vidhi Farm is able to sell “herd shares” that allow shareholders to become part owners of the farm’s herd of cows.

Through this program, members aren’t purchasing raw milk directly. Instead, they own a portion of the herd and receive unprocessed milk from their share, Deekonda said. There’s a one-time buy-in fee and monthly boarding fees that entitle each member to a weekly gallon of milk.

Deekonda emphasized that Vidhi Farm doesn’t necessarily promote raw milk consumption, however, they do take pride in providing the freshest possible milk to their members, who prefer unpasteurized milk within 24 hours of milking to the store-bought options that could be days old, Deekonda said.

“While some raw milk advocates highlight potential benefits, such as natural enzymes and nutrients, we always encourage our customers to make informed decisions,” she added.

What are the risks of raw milk?

The FDA and CDC agree that raw milk can carry a variety of foodborne illnesses including E.coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter, putting those who consume it at risk, especially people with weakened immune systems, children, seniors and pregnant people.

As reported by PBS in May, before milk standards were adopted in 1924, about 25% of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. were related to dairy consumption. That number is down to about 1%, according to Alex O’Brien, safety and quality coordinator for the Center for Dairy Research.

“Raw milk can contain a variety of disease-causing pathogens, as demonstrated by numerous scientific studies,” an FDA official told Queen City Nerve. “These studies, along with numerous foodborne outbreaks, clearly demonstrate the risk associated with drinking raw milk.”

Despite the warnings, some consumers continue to make decisions based on their own research. Greenway said that one thing that led to her decision to consume raw milk was seeing the number of cases of foodborne illness that came from common foods like lettuce and other vegetables and fruits.

In the most recent foodborne illness source attribution estimate report by members of the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration which includes the CDC, the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the group used outbreak surveillance data from 1998 through 2021 to identify food sources of priority foodborne pathogens for salmonella, E. coli and listeria.

These specific pathogens were singled out due to the “frequency and severity of illness they cause, and because targeted interventions can significantly reduce these illnesses,” according to the report.

While unpasteurized dairy products accounted for the majority of listeria illnesses compared to 16 other food categories, generally accessible foods like chicken, vegetable row crops, fruits and beef had significantly more attributable illnesses of salmonella and E.coli.

“I’m not saying there’s not a risk,” Greenway said. “There’s a risk-benefit to everything that you do in life, but I’m not going to not eat vegetables because of that risk.”

The CDC says pasteurization is crucial for milk safety as it kills harmful germs that can cause illness, while an FDA official insisted the process does not have any significant impact on milk’s nutritional quality the way raw milk enthusiasts claim it does.

Deekonda agrees pasteurization plays a role in food safety and eliminating harmful bacteria, but she also believes it may change the natural taste and texture of the milk, which is usually said to be sweeter and creamier than pasteurized milk.

Growing up, Deekonda’s mother and grandmother would boil fresh milk from their backyard herd, a traditional form of pasteurization.

Vidhi Farm does not pasteurize their milk before giving it to member-customers, but Deekonda said they do encourage those who are concerned about safety to consider boiling or pasteurizing the milk themselves at home.

“That way, they can enjoy both the safety and most of the quality that fresh milk offers,” she said.

Hygiene also plays a key role in safety, as the CDC says good sanitation practices on raw milk farms can reduce contamination, though they cannot guarantee safety from harmful bacteria.

Before every milking session, Vidhi Farm cleans the cow’s udders and teats, the milking stanchion and all related equipment as well as sanitizing the milking machines and glass jars that store the milk, Deekonda said.

Greenway admitted that pasteurization is necessary in large factory farming where regular cattle health checks and sanitization of large herds isn’t realistic. However, she pointed out that most raw milk consumers typically buy from small family farms with manageable herds.

“With our small herd, we’re able to give each step the attention it deserves to ensure cleanliness,” Deekonda said.

Greenway buys from a local farm that regularly tests its cattle and each batch of raw milk before they sell it.
Speaking to the farmer personally and seeing the care they have for their herd pushed her to move forward with her decision to consume the milk, she told Queen City Nerve.

She added that she does pay attention to the concerns from major agencies like the FDA and CDC, pointing out that they often mention that consuming raw milk carries a high risk of contracting harmful bacteria like E.coli.

Since E.coli often spreads through contact with human or animal feces, as long as small farms are sanitizing their cow’s udders, Greenway said she believes there’s no issue.

The last word on raw milk

Some raw milk advocates espouse the talking point that our ancestors survived solely on raw milk, though the lifespan of a typical human before pasteurization came along was around 40 — for many reasons related to a lack of knowledge and technology.

Science and research have come a long way since then, giving us the raw data on raw milk to help each person consume enough information to make an informed decision on the risks that come with drinking raw milk.

With the backing of much of the scientific community, the FDA continues to advise that raw milk should not be consumed by anyone at any time for any reason.

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Deekonda instead suggests it’s important for consumers to consult with health care providers if they have any concerns, as everyone’s dietary needs are unique.

Greenway agrees, stating that she believes the one-size-fits-all solution government bodies try to enact is not the answer, and she has no plans of stopping her consumption of raw milk based on what any agency has to say.

“Everybody is different,” she said. “Raw milk might not be right for you, but it’s right for me.”

*An earlier version of this story referred to Vidhi Farm’s herd share program as a “loophole,” when it is simply state law.