Marler Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : Bill Marler : Marler Clark

I've been studying the issues and politics of raw milk lately. I'm not an expert yet, but I know a lot more than I did a few weeks ago. I can tell you this much - for folks who have sought out a 'cow-share' operation, raw milk isn't just a personal choice; it's almost a religion. I wouldn't be at all surprised if over half of these sickened folks go back to drinking raw milk. In my state of NC, it is the only food item that's illegal to sell - so people get around the law by purchasing it for their 'pets' in a wink-wink fashion. THEY will tell you that pasteurization makes for a substance only slightly related to milk in taste, and that it's a dead product with little health value, and most importantly that it benefits agribusiness.

Some of the claims are dubious, but it is hard for me to condemn this movement. I have never had raw milk, and quite frankly that makes me sad. I see MANY parallels between pasteurization and irradiation (which I am not in favor of).

I am going to try to find a source just to try it. I'm willing to take the risk. I don't know why our scientific community can't come up with an instant read test for campylobactor, e.coli 0157:h7 and listeria for small dairies, because these aren't unsuspecting consumers, they are people willing to live with the risk.

I think giving it to a 4 year old verges on criminal, but let adults make their own choices. Don't forget there have been outbreaks associated with pasteurized products too.