Raw Milk Facts

It's hard for me to think to a time when raw milk scared me. What was I afraid of? Illness? Death? Flavor?

In my head I am reviewing my college years of studying food and dietetics for that is certainly where the fear was nurtured. There was definitely a theme of food churned out of the standard food industry is much safer. But there were no studies or statistics presented to us to back up this practice pertaining to raw dairy products. I don't blame the professors. I think there are many mindless rules in various areas of our life we profess without stopping to investigate their truth. For example, does it really ruin your eyes to sit too close to the TV? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But honestly, it's not something I have seen researched.

I'd love to get on my raw milk soap box but first I will share a wonderful fact sheet that Judith Mc Greary of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance compiled. I took the liberty of editing out some of the local economic benefit to make it easier on you guys to read. Not that you all are not capable of understanding, but rumor has it that most of you are not as interested as I am in all the details :).

FYI there is a bill in Austin right now that we are working to get passed that will allow farmers to bring their raw milk to sale at farmer's markets and it will also allow delivery of milk to homes. As it stands right now, raw milk is a safe and legal food product but legislation has made it difficult to obtain. The law states that you must drive to the farm to get your raw milk. That's not very convenient for most of us and this inconvenience cuts into the farmer's potential sales as well as our right to choose our own food source.

Grade A Raw Milk In Texas

Economic Benefits of Raw Milk

Direct farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk can mean the difference between a net loss on the farm and the ability to provide a reasonable income for the farm family. Below are numbers drawn from actual Texas dairy farmers. These numbers do not cover the full range of potential situations, but provide a sample of the real-world economics of dairy.

Every $1 earned on the farm equates to $5-$7 for the local community. By providing a fair income for rural dairy farmers, Grade A sales of raw milk can help our struggling rural economies.


In 2002, dairy farms in the U.S. went out of business at the rate of 16 farms per day. Dairy farms are currently facing a crisis.

Existing Regulations

Licensed farmers can sell raw milk directly to consumers under Chapter 435 of the Health Code. HB 75/ SB 237 is narrowly tailored to address the marketing barrier created by the current restriction on the location of sales. It does not change any of the extensive regulations placed on Grade A producers that address health and safety concerns, found at 25 TAC Chapter 217. Below are some highlights of the existing regulations that would remain unchanged.

• Dairy farms, both facilities and records, are inspected twice every 6 months (217.26a)
• If a condition is found that poses an imminent health hazard, the department is required to suspend the dairy’s permit immediately (217.26d)
• Samples of the milk are collected at least every six weeks and tested for: bacterial counts, coliform counts, somatic cell counts, water adulteration, and cooling temperatures. (217.27)
• At least twice every six months, the samples are also tested for pathogenic bacteria
• At least four times every six months, the samples are also tested for antibiotics
• Grade A raw milk must meet the following standards (217.28)
• Cooled to 45 degrees or less within 2 hours (also regulated in 217.29s).
• Somatic cell counts not to exceed 750,000 per milliliter (ml) for cow’s milk or 1,000,000/ml for goat’s milk.
• Bacteria limits of 20,000 per ml (not applicable to cultured products).
• Coliform not to exceed 10 per ml.
• Pathogen limit of zero.
• Section 217.29, Sanitization Requirements for Grade A Raw Milk, has 20 subparts, which have in turn multiple sub-subparts, of rules (217.29). Some highlights include:
• Abnormal milk shall be discarded, and animals which show evidence of abnormal secretion must be isolated from the non-abnormal milk and equipment cleaned (a)
• Milk barn must meet detailed construction and cleanliness requirements (b,c, e-g)
• Animal yard shall be properly graded to prevent standing pools of water or waste, housing areas maintained to prevent soiling of animals udders and flanks (d)
• Clean water in sufficient quantity for the dairy operations (h)
• Containers, utensils and equipment must meet standards for construction (type of materials), cleaning, sanitization, storage and handling (i-m)
• The animal and the milking equipment must be free from contamination (n-p)
• People doing the milking must have clean hands, wear clean outer garments, and be free of infection (q, r)
• Effective insect and rodent control is required (t)
• Animal Health: All herds shall be tested and found free of tuberculosis and brucellosis before any milk is sold; herds shall be retested at least every 12 months; cattle herds participate in brucellosis ring testing by Texas Animal Health Commission. For other diseases, the department may require physical, chemical, or bacteriological tests. (217.20)
• Plans for Grade A Raw for Retail Milk Dairy Farms shall be submitted to the department for approval before work is begun (217.30).


Safety of Raw Milk

• EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD IN TEXAS: Raw milk has an excellent safety record in Texas. According to the CDC, between 1998 and 2008, there were only two reported cases of illness from raw milk. In contrast, during the same time period, there were 465 illnesses reported just from raw oysters. In fact, there were over 12,000 foodborne illnesses reported in Texas in that time period (not including multi-state outbreaks), traced to such foods as strawberries, mangos, ice cream, cake, beans, lettuce salads, salsa, cheeses, pot pie, chicken salad, hot dogs, deli meats, and beef brisket. Any food carries some risk of foodborne illness, but as shown above (see Existing Regulations), licensed raw milk farmers take extensive precautions to ensure the safety and quality of their product.

• OTHER STATES: Sales of raw milk are legal in more than half of the States. Ten States allow the sale of raw milk in grocery stores, which would not be allowed under HB 75/ SB 237.

• PROTECTIVE COMPONENTS OF UNPROCESSED MILK: Raw milk contains numerous components that assist in:

o Killing pathogens in the milk (lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, leukocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, antibodies, medium chain fatty acids, lysozyme, B12 binding protein, bifidus factor, beneficial bacteria);
o Preventing pathogens from being absorbed across the intestinal wall (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, mucins, fibronectin, glycomacropeptides, bifidus factor, beneficial bacteria); and
o Strengthening and modulating the immune system (lymphocytes, immunoglobulins, antibodies, hormones and growth factors).
o Note that breast milk is raw. The safety and health benefits of breast milk have been well documented.
• LOSS OF PROTECTIVE COMPONENTS DUE TO PASTEURIZATION: Many of these anti-microbial and immune-enhancing components are greatly reduced in effectiveness by pasteurization.

• MODERN ADVANTAGES IN RAW DAIRY PRODUCTION: Compared to 50 years ago, dairy farmers today can take advantage of many advancements that contribute to a much safer product, including rotational pasture grazing, milking machines, effective cleaning systems, and refrigeration. Milk and herd disease testing techniques are also more thorough than when pasteurization became commonplace.

Health Benefits of Raw Milk

• ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES: Several recent studies in Europe have found that drinking “farm” (raw) milk protects against asthma and allergies.

• RAW HUMAN MILK: Infants and premature babies on pasteurized human milk did not gain weight as quickly as those fed raw human milk; problems were attributed to pasteurization’s destruction of lipase. In another study, neonates given raw human milk had a markedly lower incidence of infection than those who received pasteurized human milk and formula.

• POSITIVE TESTIMONIALS: There are hundreds of testimonials involving reversal of failure to thrive in infants; allergies, asthma and behavior problems in children; and digestive disorders, arthritis, osteoporosis and even cancer in adults.


• NUTRIENTS RETAINED IN RAW MILK:


Vitamin A
Beta-lactoglobulin, a heat-sensitive protein in milk, increases intestinal absorption of vitamin A. Heat degrades vitamin A.


B Vitamins (incl. folate)
Significant percentages of Vitamins B6, B12, thiamin and folate are destroyed by heat treatment, although the specific percentages found vary from study to study. In addition, the folacin-binding protein in raw milk is rendered ineffective during pasteurization and processing.



Vitamin C
Heating leads to a loss of Vitamin C in pasteurized milk. “Without doubt, the explosive increase in infantile scurvy during the latter part of the 19th century coincided with the advent of use of heated milks and proprietary foods. … Hess [a pediatrician] was able to effect a cure for scurvy by providing raw milk or orange juice or potatoes.”


Vitamin D

Vitamin D is present in milk in protein-bound form, which may be lost during pasteurization.


For some reasont the resources did not copy into this post. I'll try to get them up in another post soon.