Got Milk?

The question of whether or not it should be legal to sell raw milk is a complicated one. Milk is a product that is consumed by hundreds of men, women, and children every day. Raw milk itself can potentially contain hundreds of harmful microorganisms that can put a person’s health at risk. But who hold them blame for consuming such products? Is it on the fault of the dairy for not properly testing their milk before sending it out to distributers? Is it on the fault of the grocery stores for knowingly putting raw milk on their shelves? Or is it at the fault of the individual or parent who, potentially knowing the risks chooses to drink the milk or give it to their children.

The people working at the dairy are responsible for milking the cows in the first place. It is them who come into first contact with the milk. According to the PMO (Pasteurized Milk Ordinance) there is no law against the sale of raw milk, however, some individual states law are different from that of the overall law. For example, Alabama does not permit the sale of raw milk while Arizona does permit the sale of raw milk and raw milk products as long as they carry the required warning labels. That being said, in states that permit the sale of raw milk ethically I would fall to the responsibility of those working at the dairy to test their milk and milk products as they are the first line of defense. But what constitutes enough testing? In a perfect world the dairy would test every bit of milk that comes out of their cows and has the potential to be sold to humans. While this would be perfect it requires a lot of man power and money to test every drop of milk. On the flipside, dairies run the risk of too little testing a state at which milk and milk products are being tested so sparingly for microorganisms that a majority of their products go to sale even when they are contaminated. It is a fine to walk for dairy farmers but they are the first line of defense.

After the dairy the next top on its way to the consumers is to markets and grocery stores. It is the choice of the management of the stores whether or not to sell raw milk. At this point ethically, they are assuming responsibility for the products on their shelves and should be able to vouch for their safety. By resuming responsibility for raw products it is up to the store to make sure that the products on their shelves are safe for consumer use by following various protocols such as: keeping up to date products on their shelves and not expired ones, making sure that all appropriate labels are clearly visible and understandable by their consumers, and making themselves both knowledgeable and available to answer questions about said products.

                Lastly, it is the decision of the consumer themselves to buy the raw milk and consume it. Because the product is available to them does not mean that it is ethical for them to be drinking or providing said milk and milk products to their friends and other family members. Those buying raw milk need to be aware of the risks they are taking by purchasing and consuming this product. Unfortunately, there is no way to screen those purchasing raw milk and milk products to make sure that they are informed of the risk they are ensuing by purchasing and consuming such products. Hopefully, those consuming raw milk are aware of the potential microorganisms they can be exposing themselves to by drinking raw milk. As stated by Cookson Beecher in an article about an E. Coli outbreak in raw milk in Tennessee “Milk from the healthiest-appearing cows in the cleanest dairy operations can still contain deadly microorganisms.” That being said buying raw milk from the cleanest grocery store does not ensure that it is safe to drink.

                In the same article Beecher described some of the health risks associated with drinking raw milk which included consumption of the following harmful and potentially deadly microorganisms such as: E. Coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Campylobacteria. Given the serious risks behind drinking or consuming raw milk and milk products there are also benefits that some would consider worth the risk. Some of the benefits as described by the Campaign for Raw Milk include: preventing pathogen absorption across the intestinal wall and strengthening the immune system. According to this organization based on data from the 2003 USDA/FDA report, “compared to raw milk there are 515 times more illnesses from bacteria in deli meats and 29 more times illnesses from bacteria due to pasteurized milk.” According to Beecher, some advocates of drinking raw milk believe it helps cure ailments such as asthma and various allergies.

Sources:

http://www.realmilk.com/safety/fresh-unprocessed-raw-whole-milk/

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/11/raw-milk-dairy-linked-to-e-coli-outbreak-through-tests/#.Us9tBE2A3IV

http://www.realmilk.com/safety/fresh-unprocessed-raw-whole-milk/