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MSU dairy scientist says unknown risks are too great for raw milk to be allowed

A long-time dairy quality specialist says the unpredictable risks of drinking raw milk are too great to legalize its sale.

Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. Pamela Ruegg tells Brownfield, “It’s a documented risk.”

“The challenge with that risk is that the risk and the vulnerabilities of people is not equally distributed,” she says.

Ruegg says even as milk quality has improved during her 40-plus-year career, the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks remains vastly greater in states that allow raw milk sales.

“The outcomes in vulnerable individuals are so devastating,” she stresses. “Children on dialysis, people with long months of recovery, some people with permanent lifelong injuries, and there’s no benefit.”

Analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds 96% of illnesses caused by dairy products are linked to raw milk consumption.

A bill currently in the Michigan House would allow direct farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk and raw milk products under certain conditions, including limiting sales to farms milking fewer than 700 cows.

Ruegg says neither farm size nor cleanliness can prevent bacteria from naturally being shed in milk.

“The risk is so unpredictable, and the ability to test the milk just isn’t there,” she says. “We don’t have tests that you can do frequently enough.”

Ruegg says many of the claims made during recent testimony on the bill are unfounded and have zero scientific background.

If passed, the legislation would require label statements that say, “This product is made with raw (unpasteurized) milk and may contain harmful bacteria. Not pasteurized. Not inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Consume at your own risk.”

Michigan was the first state to mandate pasteurization of milk in 1948. Pasteurization briefly heats milk to kill dangerous pathogens found in raw milk, including Campylobacter, Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., and Shiga toxin–producing E. coli.

Raw milk is currently available for consumers who purchase herd shares or as unpasteurized cheese in the state.

Ruegg is the David J. Ellis Chair in Antimicrobial Resistance and director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Dairy Health Management Laboratory at MSU.