Raw milk is having another one of those weeks where it reminds everyone why Louis Pasteur got a Wikipedia page, and RFK Jr wears a tinfoil hat.
Idaho health officials are investigating how nearly 60 people got sick after drinking raw milk in the past two weeks.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced in a news release on Wednesday that most of the people reported being sick after drinking raw milk from two different milking operations in North Idaho and southern Idaho. The infections were reported starting May 19.
The state health agency didn’t disclose the names of the dairies, but said they are collaborating with health officials “to identify and fix any potential sources of contamination.”
Most of the sick people reported drinking raw milk from two different milking operations, one in northern Idaho and one in southern Idaho. The state did not name the dairies, saying the point is broader: this is a potential risk for any raw milk producer.
That is the part raw-milk evangelists keep trying to wellness-influence away. Pasteurization is not a corporate plot against vibes. It is heat. It kills nearly all germs that can be present in raw milk while preserving its nutritional benefits, according to Idaho health officials.
There are many ways to feel closer to nature. Drinking bacteria soup does not need to be one of them.
Raw milk is as natural as the diarrhea that comes with it.
I feel like it is possible to sell safe raw milk, keeping close watch over sanitary conditions for the animals and equipment while also having a good testing regime. But that's going to mean government regulations, so there isn't much of a constituency.