Raw Milk Movement Gains Momentum Despite Health Risks and Recent Outbreaks

A growing campaign to make unpasteurized milk more widely available is gaining traction across the United States, even as health officials warn about serious risks and a new disease outbreak sickens children.

More than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in statehouses nationwide, according to an Associated Press investigation. These legislative efforts come at a time when consumer demand for raw milk is surging, with dairy farmers reporting they can barely keep the product in stock, despite premium prices often exceeding $10 to $20 per gallon.

The movement has gained high-profile support from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was seen drinking raw milk at the White House in May and has previously pledged to end what he called “aggressive suppression” of the product. Social media has further fueled interest, with posts frequently touting unverified health claims about raw milk’s benefits.

Public health experts, however, are sounding alarms. The current outbreak linked to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm has sickened nine people with E. coli, including four children under age 5. One victim developed a serious complication that can cause permanent kidney damage.

“If you wouldn’t lick a cow’s underneath, why would you drink raw milk?” said Petra Anne Levin, a biology professor at Washington University in St. Louis. “There’s a reason pasteurization is around.”

Pasteurization, which kills harmful bacteria by heating milk to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds, has been credited with saving millions from foodborne illness without significantly affecting milk’s nutritional value.

Despite these safety concerns, consumer advocates acknowledge the shifting landscape. “People want access,” said Mary McGonigle-Martin, co-chair of Stop Foodborne Illness. “Public health has lost the battle on raw milk.”

Legislative Push Crosses Party Lines

Bills favoring raw milk have been introduced in 18 states during the current legislative session, crossing political divides with support from both Republican and Democratic-controlled states.

In New Jersey, a Senate bill would create a raw milk permitting program for the first time. “You can buy cigarettes. You can buy alcohol. You can buy quote-unquote legalized marijuana,” said Republican sponsor state Sen. Michael Testa. “Why shouldn’t someone be able to consume raw milk?”

If passed, New Jersey would join over three dozen states that already permit raw milk sales in some form. Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers University food science professor, predicts this wider access will likely result in more outbreaks.

In Iowa, a bill advancing in the Republican-controlled House would allow farmers to sell unpasteurized products alongside other foods at farm stores. Its sponsor, Republican state Rep. Chad Ingels, initially opposed raw milk legalization but changed his position after it became law. “I just thought it made sense to allow those farm businesses to sell all their products in one location,” Ingels said.

Missouri lawmakers are considering bills that would permit unpasteurized dairy products in grocery stores and farmers’ markets if labeled with warnings about potential harmful bacteria. Both bills reference the Raw Milk Institute, an organization headed by Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee, whose farm has been linked to multiple outbreaks.

At the federal level, a bipartisan bill called the Interstate Milk Freedom Act would prevent federal restrictions on raw milk movement between states where its sale is legal. Legal experts suggest the FDA could also take steps to increase availability by creating national standards for raw milk.

Documented Health Risks

Scientists and public health officials continue to emphasize the dangers of unpasteurized milk. According to a CDC review, more than 200 outbreaks linked to raw milk sickened over 2,600 people and hospitalized 225 between 1998 and 2018.

Research shows that raw dairy products cause 840 times more illness and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized alternatives. Children are especially vulnerable due to their immature immune systems and higher milk consumption.

Before milk safety standards were established over a century ago, about 25% of U.S. foodborne illnesses came from dairy products. Today, that figure has dropped to about 1%. Historical records show infant mortality rates in 19th century Europe and America were 30-60 times higher than today, with contaminated milk causing thousands of infant deaths annually from conditions like “summer diarrhea.”

“They can’t grasp it, or they think it’s so rare it won’t happen to them,” said McGonigle-Martin, whose son nearly died in 2006 after consuming contaminated raw milk from Raw Farm’s predecessor, Organic Pastures.

Mari Tardiff of Oregon experienced firsthand the severe consequences after drinking raw milk in 2008. Contaminated with campylobacter, the milk triggered Guillain-Barré syndrome that left her temporarily paralyzed, ventilator-dependent, and requiring months of hospitalization.

“Your whole life is completely blown apart,” Tardiff said. Though she respects adults’ right to choose, she worries about children consuming raw milk. “If I did something like that and one of my kids or my grandchildren was going through what I went through, I would never forgive myself.”

Finding Common Ground

As raw milk gains popularity, some farmers implement rigorous safety practices. Ben Beichler of Creambrook Farm in Virginia, which operates through herd shares, works with veterinarians and conducts weekly lab tests. “My family and my wife, who’s currently pregnant, drink about a gallon of our own raw milk every single day,” he said. “If there’s anybody who has a vested interest in making sure our milk is safe, it is us.”

In Missouri, Tony Huffstutter tests milk daily at his on-site lab at Twisted Ash Farm & Dairy, where raw milk sells for $29 per gallon. He compares raw milk to other natural products that have caused outbreaks. “They don’t pasteurize the salad,” he noted.

With raw milk’s growing foothold, advocates on both sides increasingly call for federal regulation. McGonigle-Martin believes the FDA should regulate raw milk as strictly as pasteurized dairy products, a position McAfee supports with “high standards and testing.”

Schaffner, while concerned about children consuming raw milk, takes a pragmatic approach for adults: “It’s kind of like legalization of weed, right? If people want it, we should find a way to regulate it and do it safely.”

Nevertheless, he points out there’s already a proven method for making raw milk safe: “It’s called pasteurization. And it works really well.”