The rate of outbreaks caused by unpasteurized milk (raw milk) and products made from it was 150 times greater than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
February 22, 2012
The rate of outbreaks caused by unpasteurized milk (raw milk) and products made from it was 150 times greater than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 13-year review also revealed that the states where the sale of raw milk was legal had more than twice the rate of outbreaks as states where it was illegal.
The study, published Feb. 21 in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, reviewed dairy product outbreaks from 1993 to 2006 in all 50 states. The authors compared the amount of milk produced in the U.S. during the study period (about 2.7 trillion lbs) to the amount that CDC estimates was likely consumed raw (1% or 27 billion lbs) to determine the 150 times higher rate for outbreaks caused by raw milk products. Raw milk products include cheese and yogurt.
The study included 121 dairy-related disease outbreaks, which caused 4,413 illnesses, 239 hospitalizations, and three deaths. In 60% of the outbreaks (73 outbreaks), state health officials determined raw milk products were the cause. Nearly all of the hospitalizations (200 of 239) were in those sickened in the raw milk outbreaks. These dairy-related outbreaks occurred in 30 states, and 75% (55 outbreaks) of the raw milk outbreaks occurred in the 21 states where it was legal to sell raw milk products at the time. The study also reported that seven states changed their laws during the study period.
The study also found that the raw milk product outbreaks led to much more severe illnesses, and disproportionately affected people under age 20. In the raw milk outbreaks with known age breakdowns, 60% of patients were younger than age 20, compared to 23% in outbreaks from pasteurized products. Children are more likely than adults to get seriously ill from the bacteria in raw milk.
“While some people think that raw milk has more health benefits than pasteurized milk, this study shows that raw milk has great risks, especially for children, who experience more severe illnesses if they get sick,” said study co-author Barbara Mahon, Deputy Chief of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch.
Press release