Milk is a perishable food with high nutritional value and moisture content, which makes it conducive for spoilage and harmful microorganisms to thrive in. Pasteurization of milk is one of the key measures taken to protect the public from foodborne illness caused by harmful organisms in milk. During pasteurization, raw milk is heated at a specific temperature, for a specific amount of time before it is packaged and distributed/sold. The temperature and time combination are sufficient to destroy harmful microorganisms that may be present in the raw milk.
Raw milk that has not undergone the pasteurization process is more likely to contain harmful microorganisms. In fact, raw milk consumption has been linked to outbreaks in multiple States, and different pathogens, including Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, E. coli, and Cryptosporidium, are reported in those outbreaks. These pathogens can come from animals’ feces or skin, people, contaminated water, contaminated food contact surfaces, including milking equipment, containers, and pipes, and the environment.
Health Claims
There are many misconceptions and health claims around raw milk consumption. These can lure people into consuming raw milk and products made from raw milk or giving them to people at higher risk of foodborne illness, such as children. The misconceptions and health claims are related to lactose intolerance, asthma and allergy, osteoporosis, presence of probiotics, presence of digestive enzymes and antimicrobial compounds, and the nutritional value of the milk among others. The Food and Drug Administration provides guidance on these misconceptions so that consumers can make informed decisions about the kind of milk they choose to consume. When shopping for milk or milk products, remember to read labels and ensure the milk is pasteurized.
Requirements for Selling Raw Milk
In Illinois, selling raw milk is legal but with restrictions. Those interested in venturing in this business must obtain a raw dairy farm permit and a distribution permit and sell raw milk on the dairy farm where the milk is collected. The water used on the farm must be a municipal water source or tested to confirm that it does not contain coliform bacteria. The farm must prepare the required documentation for inspection, and the raw milk must be routinely sampled by someone with a Raw Milk Sampler permit. The raw milk samples are tested for coliforms, bacteria, drug residues, and somatic cell counts by a certified laboratory.
Permit Applications
Check out the Illinois Department of Public Health’s raw dairy farm permit packet to access the raw milk permit application and milk sampler training guide. From the packet, you will learn about the required documents, limits for the tested parameters of raw milk, and a list of certified labs that can test milk samples.
References and Resources
- Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to unpasteurized milk and relationship to changes in state laws – United States, 1998–2018, National Library of Medicine
- Raw Milk Misconceptions and the Danger of Raw Milk Consumption, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Raw dairy farm permit packet, Illinois Department of Public Health
- FDA’s questions and answers about raw milk, U.S. Food and Drug Administration