Yet Health Secretary Bobby Jr. continues to promote it
The statement also highlights H5N1 avian flu as an emerging
concern.
Claims that unpasteurized (raw) dairy products offer superior health benefits lack scientific support, write the authors.
“These
purported benefits have no evidence base and do not outweigh the risks of
unpasteurized milk consumption,” notes the statement. “Substantial data suggest
that pasteurized milk confers equivalent health benefits compared with
unpasteurized milk, without the additional risk of infection.”
The sale of unpasteurized dairy products remains legal in at
least 27 states. The AAP statement renews its call for a nationwide ban on
unpasteurized dairy.
Children account for nearly half of raw milk illnesses
Raw milk can contain several virulent pathogens, including Listeria,
Campylobacter, Salmonella, Brucella, and Escherichia
coli.
In 2019, Campylobacter species, Clostridium
perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, norovirus, nontyphoidal Salmonella
species, and Shiga toxin–producing E coli (STEC) caused an estimated 9.9
million foodborne illnesses in the United States and led to roughly 53,000
hospitalizations and nearly 900 deaths.
From 2013 to 2018, there were 75 known outbreaks linked
specifically to consumption of unpasteurized milk products, which resulted in
675 illnesses, 98 hospitalizations, and two deaths. Campylobacter was
responsible for the most outbreaks (49%), followed by Salmonella (17%)
and STEC (15%).
One-hundred percent of people sickened by Listeria were
hospitalized, as were 42% of those sickened by STEC and 16% of those infected
with Salmonella. Roughly half of those who became ill were younger than
20 years, and 14% were under 5 years.
“These illnesses can be severe and lead to life-threatening
complications. Pasteurization—a safe, effective process of heating and cooling
milk before consumption that has been used for more than a century—dramatically
reduces the risks without taking away the nutritional value families rely on,”
said lead author Adam J. Ratner, MD, MPH, in an AAP news release.
Pregnant women face additional risks. The authors estimate
that listeriosis occurs 12 to 14 times more frequently in pregnant women than
in the general population. Listeria infection can cause miscarriage,
stillbirth, premature delivery, and severe neonatal infections.
H5N1 found in quarter of raw milk samples in 2024
outbreak
Passed from wild birds to dairy cows, H5N1 avian flu was
found in nearly one-quarter of unpasteurized milk samples in states affected by
the 2024 dairy cattle outbreak. The virus can persist in refrigerated raw milk
for up to five weeks.
While no human H5N1 cases attributable to raw milk
consumption have been identified, infected milk has caused systemic illness and
death in animals that consumed it. Pasteurization effectively inactivates the
virus, the authors note.
Nearly all national and international food advisory agencies strongly recommend drinking only pasteurized milk and milk products. These include the American Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the US Food and Drug Administration, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, and the World Health Organization.
The AAP recommends that families choose only pasteurized
dairy products. The organization also endorses a ban on the sale or
distribution of raw milk and milk products, including unpasteurized milk
cheeses.
"Parents may choose raw milk because they have heard it
is healthier or more natural, but the scientific evidence tells a different
story," says coauthor Mark R. Corkins, MD, in the news release.
"Pasteurized dairy products provide the same essential nutrients without
exposing children and families to preventable infections from dangerous
bacteria and viruses."
