Benefits of raw dairy
Reasons why individuals chose to consume raw dairy products include preservation of enzymes, support of local farmers, increased perceptions of freshness and enhanced nutrition. It may be the sceptic in me but, I do enjoy reviewing for peer reviewed journals and when searching to find scholarly evidence to support these claims, I found none. To claim that the enzymes present in raw milk are functioning in the human body is unlikely as the enzymes will be denatured in the stomach as a result of the acidic conditions. After a protein has been denatured, it is no longer functional, if there are benefits, they occur through a different mechanism. Supporting local farmers helps communities in many ways, but if your ranch or farm does not practice sanitary procedures it may be worth looking for others who do. Finally, the claim that raw food is more nutritious may also be a perception rather than a legitimate claim.
Current research
In addition to the reported benefits, there are possiblilities for illness to result from the consumption of raw dairy products. The research article Nonpasteurized Dairy Products, Disease Outbreaks, and State Laws — United States, 1993-2006 published by the CDC in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases reported that the incidence of illness resulting from pathogen contamination where higher in states where it was legal to sell raw milk between the years of 1993-2006. In addition, the organisms found in raw milk were more likely to introduced prior to selling where as pathogens in pasteurized milk were more likely to be introduced by infected food handlers.
Safety
With all of this information, is there still a way to enjoy the benefits of consuming raw dairy products while minimizing the risk of illness? It is challenging, in that in states such as Oregon, only small herds meeting certain licensing exemptions are able to offer raw milk required. There are no stipulations that I was able to see requiring mandatory batch sample testing or any other type of regular testing standards to ensure safety of the products. If farmers self regulated and adopted a standard set of clinical laboratory tests to detect for pathologic bacterial contamination, not only would consumers be protected, but outbreaks can be prevented by destroying a contaminated batch prior to being dispensed publicly.
To ensure safety, regardless of why one chooses raw over pasteurized milk, taking the time to interview their ranchers just as they would any other service professional can be useful. Not only is observing a happy, well cared for herd important, it is not enough to ensure that product is not contaminated with bacteria. With this being said, it is still important to see how the ranchers interacts with and cares for the herd. Below are other questions you can use when interviewing ranchers.
Questions for your potential farmer
What hygiene standards are implemented during milking?
How is milk stored prior to sale? And at what temperature?
Do they have a plan for notifying costumers of a contaminated batch?
Is there an in house laboratory?
If not
Do they send samples to an independent third party laboratory for testing?
What is the frequency of testing, every batch? weekly? annually?
What is being tested for?
Conclusions
Though the reasons individuals consume raw milk varies, not all products are created equally. Taking the time to visit, interview and thoroughly question your potential rancher can help lessen your risk of infection, but it can never completely be eliminated. Through learning and questioning it is possible to become a more informed consumer and decrease risk while enjoying culinary delicacies.
References:
1. Dairy Food Sciences Updates, http://foodscience.cornell.edu/cals/foodsci/extension/upload/CU-DFScience-Notes-Milk-Raw-Tests-Summary-07-08.pdf, 26 June 2012.