More and more states are allowing the sale of unpasteurized milk, a trend that raises public health concerns, according to research published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Although only a small portion of Americans consume raw milk directly or in the form of cheese, these items are responsible for 96 percent of illnesses reported nationally each year due to contaminated dairy products, say the scientists.
“As consumption of unpasteurized dairy products grows, illnesses will increase steadily; a doubling in the consumption of unpasteurized milk or cheese could increase outbreak-related illnesses by 96 percent,” says the study, with epidemiologist Solenne Costard, of EpiX Analytics, as lead scientist. Outbreaks from dairy consumption cause an average of 760 illnesses and 22 hospitalizations annually, mostly from E coli, salmonella, and campylobacter bacteria.
“Most unpasteurized dairy–related outbreaks are caused by pathogen contamination at the dairy farm,” said the researchers. “Boiling of milk before consumption seems to be a … realistic mitigation strategy, but this practice is unlikely to be implemented by unpasteurized dairy product advocates because it would affect the perceived benefits.”