LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO, May 2 (Reuters) – U.S. sellers of
raw milk appear undeterred by federal health warnings for
consumers to avoid drinking unpasteurized milk in light of a
bird flu outbreak that has affected dairy herds in nine states
and sickened at least one dairy farm worker.
Thirty of the 50 U.S. states permit the sale of raw milk,
which accounts for less than 1% percent of U.S. milk sales. A
nationwide survey of pasteurized milk – heated to kill pathogens
– found avian flu virus particles in about 20% of samples
tested.
Many raw milk drinkers share a deep skepticism of public
health officials, including the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), which also battled political polarization
and misinformation during and after the COVID pandemic.
“Our consumers don’t like the FDA. If the FDA says to do
something, they will do the opposite,” said Mark McAfee, owner
of Raw Farm in Fresno, California, the largest U.S. raw milk
dairy.
Federal health officials have repeated warnings for
consumers to avoid raw milk, which can carry a host of
illness-causing pathogens, due to the outbreak. But changing the
minds of raw milk fans, who range from mothers seeking to feed
their families unprocessed food to body builders on
protein-heavy diets, will be an uphill climb.
Preliminary results of tests of pasteurized milk show that
the process kills the virus, leaving only remnants behind. But
the presence of H5N1 in milk has led many experts to warn
against consuming raw milk products as they investigate whether
bird flu can be transmitted by eating unpasteurized milk or
cheese. And there is evidence that the virus killed a large
number of cats that consumed raw milk on farms where the virus
was found.
Dr. Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist at the Johns Hopkins
Center for Health Security in Baltimore, said drinking raw milk
is already a “crapshoot” because of the risk of diseases such as
brucellosis, a bacterial infection that can be caused by
drinking raw milk.
“It’s even riskier now. It’s just not a good practice for so
many reasons,” Gronvall said.
Enthusiasts have said raw milk has a creamier taste and
nutritional benefits that are wiped out by pasteurization. U.S.
health officials have said there is no scientific basis for the
health claims.
“Our sales have never been higher,” said McAfee, without
providing figures.
His dairy has kept cows safe with precautions including not
moving cows on or off his farm and separating any sick cows from
the herd, McAfee said.
Nevertheless, products from Raw Farm and its predecessor
company, Organic Pastures Dairy, have been tied to outbreaks of
foodborne illness. Last year, the dairy recalled raw milk after
it was linked to a Salmonella outbreak that caused illness in at
least 19 people in California.
California has not reported avian flu in dairy cows.
Some former fans have stopped drinking raw milk, including
Connecticut farmer Jerry Grabarek, who in 2022 abandoned his
nearly 50-year habit of adding raw milk from his own cows to
coffee.
“You’re playing Russian roulette with a lot of things when
you drink raw milk,” Grabarek said.
‘SMOKE AND MIRRORS’
Maryland-based raw cheese producer Sally Fallon Morell said
she doubts the accuracy of the federal government’s findings and
believes the latest raw milk warnings are driven by worries that
the product is eroding pasteurized milk sales.
“It’s all smoke and mirrors,” said Fallon Morell, president
of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which advocates for raw milk.
Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market has more than
400 grocery stores and is the largest publicly held U.S. seller
of raw milk. Andronico’s, which operates seven stores and is
part of the Albertsons Companies, carries a limited
assortment of raw milk local suppliers.
“We are coordinating with our suppliers and monitoring all
regulatory updates,” Andronico’s spokeswoman Sarah Holland said.
Sprouts did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
This summer, Raw Farm will start national sales of frozen
raw milk labeled for pets, McAfee said. The company’s fans are
already sharing social media posts about how they buy pet
products to get around laws that limit raw milk sales for human
consumption.
A Texas farm worker developed conjunctivitis following
exposure to dairy cows – the second case of the H5N1 strain of
bird flu identified in a person in the United States, following
a 2022 case in Colorado.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles and Tom Polansek,
Julie Steenhuysen and PJ Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by Will
Dunham)
Rohit Malhotra is a medical expert and health journalist who offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being. His articles aim to help readers lead healthier lives.
