The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement today that is advising children and pregnant women not to consume raw milk products.  Raw milk and milk products from cows, goats, and sheep can transmit life-threatening bacterial infections.  However, sale of raw milk products are still legal in 30 states.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits shipping raw milk for human consumption across state lines, but is unable to regulate sale inside a state.  As a result, AAP is asking consumers to self-regulate their consumption and avoid the risk presented by raw milk.

According to the AAP policy statement, foodborne illness accounts for a substantial number of illnesses and deaths in the U.S.  Estimates suggest that each year, as many as 48 million Americans experience foodborne illness, accounting for 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.  In addition, it seems that there has been no improvement in the incidence of foodborne illness since 2006.

Among the most preventable of these foodborne illnesses are infections related to ingestion of raw or unpasteurized milk and milk products.  Such foodborne illnesses are highly preventable because healthy, pasteurized milk is widely available in the U.S.  The AAP argues that the incidence of illness related to raw milk stems from misinformation about the health benefits of consuming raw milk instead of pasteurized milk.  The International Dairy Foods Association, a trade group, agrees with AAP’s position that all dairy products intended for consumption should be pasteurized to protect people.

In an analysis of the policy statement, Reuters notes that the argument that pasteurization strips milk of nutrients has not been substantiated by scientific studies.  Pasteurizing kills bacteria that can be present in raw milk. It involves heating the milk to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 15 seconds and then rapidly cooling it.  At least 97 percent of dairy products consumed in the U.S. are pasteurized

Raw milk can carry bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella from sick animals or contact with manure, for instance.  Contamination during milking or storage or milking from cows that may be diseased, exposes the consumer to severe and life-threatening illnesses such as miscarriage and still births in pregnant women, meningitis and blood infections in both young infants and pregnant women.  A recent study in Minnesota found that approximately 17 percent of consumers of raw milk in Minnesota fell sick during the year, reports the Boston Globe online.