5 Raw Milk Myths Busted!
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| MYTH: Raw milk is healthier and more nutritious than pasteurized milk. | FACT: Most of the nutritional benefits of drinking raw milk are available from pasteurized milk without the risk of disease that comes with drinking raw milk. |
| MYTH: Drinking raw milk may not be safe, but no harm will come from eating products (soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt) made from raw milk. | FACT: Raw milk made into other products, like soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, can still cause dangerous infections. When consuming these products, make sure they are made from pasteurized milk. |
| MYTH: Milk is safe as long as it is labeled “organic.” | FACT: Only organic milk that has been pasteurized is safe to drink. |
| MYTH: Raw milk and products made from it – soft cheese and yogurt – are safe if they come from healthy animals. | FACT: Healthy animals can carry illness-causing germs, such as Brucella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella, that can contaminate milk. |
| MYTH: If animals are raised in sanitary conditions on humane farms, their milk is safe. | FACT: Even dairy farms with very good safety practices can contain illness-causing germs. And even if tests on a batch of a farm’s raw milk come back negative, it is no guarantee that the next batch of milk will be free of harmful germs. |
Meet three women whose choice of raw milk for themselves or their loved ones had life-long consequences.
People often ask CDC questions about raw milk. Take a look at our answers.
Page last reviewed: June 14, 2017