Raw milk consumption- Hazards and their control

Milk is a life sustaining food that can provide almost all the nutrients required by a human being. The dairy industry as we know to day is a high tech venture that involves high expenditure to ensure that the consumers get only safe milk after necessary tests are done. Consider the plight of vegetarians whose dietary habits do not permit consumption of high protein foods like egg, meat and fish and who depend on milk for deriving most of their protein requirements. For them milk is elixir of life though there are a few protein sources in the plant kingdom that can furnish proteins in the diet, albeit of a lower quality nutritionally. Since the world has moved away from small sized milk farms serving locally to huge mechanized and automated dairy conglomerates with adequate infrastructure to distribute their products over thousands of kilometers with absolute guaranteed safety, most consumers do not bother about safety relying heavily on the industry to ensure the same. It is only recently that a small movement started some years ago by some people to consume raw milk has grown into a phenomenon attracting all round attention. Though food scientists will never vouch safe for the safety of raw milk without pasteurization, those patronizing this product are least deterred and if latest reports are to be believed raw milk consumption is growing in a country like the US where there are sizeable patrons posing challenge to the organized dairy sector. Read further to understand and form your own opinion regarding this new phenomenon. 

"The numbers say it all. There were only six raw-milk dairies in the state in 2006. There are now 39 — more than double the number in 2013 when there were 18. All are Grade A licensed dairies, which means their milk must meet the same food-safety standards as milk from conventional dairies. State officials say the number of raw-milk dairies will likely continue to climb. Raw milk is milk that hasn't been pasteurized. When milk is pasteurized, it is heated to a high enough temperature to kill disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli , Salmonella andlisteria. Health officials warn that children are especially vulnerable to pathogens in raw milk, primarily because their immune systems are still developing. State law in Washington requires that all retail raw milk products carry a warning label that states: "WARNING:  This product has not been pasteurized and may contain harmful bacteria.  Pregnant women, children, the elderly and persons with lowered resistance to disease have the highest risk of harm from use of this product." Despite numerous outbreaks and recalls of raw milk across the country and warnings from federal and state agencies about the potential dangers associated with drinking raw milk, demand is strong. And continues to grow. A passionate lot, raw-milk advocates have a range of reasons for avoiding pasteurized milk. Many say they can drink raw milk without experiencing allergic reactions such as bloating and other digestive discomforts. Others like that it often comes from family farms, in contrast to what they refer to as "factory farms." Still others laud it for its power to cure ailments ranging from arthritis to cancer — claims that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says are anecdotal and not based on science. And, most raw-milk consumers say that it just plain tastes better. "The real deal" is a popular rallying cry in raw-milk circles. "The cat's been let out of the bag, and no one's going to be able to put it back in," said Jim Sinnema, owner the Old Silvana Creamery north of Seattle, referring to the growing popularity of raw milk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans the interstate sale or distribution of raw milk. In other words, raw milk produced in one state cannot be sold in another state. The U.S. Pasteurized Milk Ordinance requires that milk sold across state lines be pasteurized and meet the standards of the ordinance. A dozen states currently allow raw milk sales at retail outlets. Among them are California, Idaho and Pennsylvania. However, the milk has to meet certain  standards, usually Grade A standards. Sixteen states ban raw milk altogether. With Washington state's requirement that raw-milk dairies be licensed as Grade A, the operations must be inspected and have their milk tested on a regular basis. It's a practical way for dealing with reality. If raw-milk sales are illegal, say many public health officials, consumers will seek it out anyway, putting themselves and their families at risk. Here's the rub — raw milk requires more tests than conventional milk. Yong Liu, manager of  the microbiology lab at Washington state's Agriculture Department, said since raw milk is not pasteurized, it must also be tested for foodborne pathogens, in addition to the same quality-control tests performed on pasteurized milk. The five pathogen tests are for Salmonella, Listeria, campylobacter and two types of E. coli. Up to nine tests are often conducted on raw-milk samples. Washington officials say raw milk is one of the highest risk food products for sale in the state."

Milk is a rich food and naturally it is more vulnerable to spoilage by many bacteria within a matter of few hours causing irreparable damage to its flavor, taste and texture. In a country like India where milking is done manually without using vacuum machines, the shelf life can be expected to be extremely short. Fresh milk vending still exists in the country but care is taken to deliver the extracted milk within a couple of hours and the buyers do not lose any time to boil the milk to kill all microorganisms which may be present in the product. If the maintenance of cows are scientifically efficient, if the milking person is hygienically "clean", if the utensils are washed thoroughly and if the milk is immediately chilled there is no reason why it should not keep for a day or two without "splitting". But large scale distribution of raw milk may be inconceivable in India because of the sanitation limitations at all levels. As for the claims that raw milk is superior to pasteurized milk, the jury is still out and unless scientifically proven will not stand critical scrutiny. As long as the avowed devotees of raw milk are prepared to take "risks", no one can grudge their privileges, if one can all them so!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

RAW MILK CONSUMPTION-THE "SAFETY" DEBATE

Why should the milk undergo the routine thermal processing involving heating to 161F for 15 seconds or any other heat treatment before marketing? Any school going kid will answer this question as every one knows it is a highly perishable commodity incapable of keeping in good quality even for a day without getting spoiled and becoming unfit for human consumption. There are many bacteria in milk by the time it is extracted from the milch animal and as it is one of the richest sources of vital nutrients for growth of any living organism, it is no wonder these bacteria proliferate quickly causing chemical, physical and microbiological changes in the material. Why some people are defying this scientific truth and still advocate consumption of raw milk is puzzling. Most charitable explanation could be that such irrational practices arise out of ignorance prevailing among some people. According to knowledgeable scientists, nutritionists, health pundits and toxicologists, raw milk consumption has the potential to make people sick through contamination with pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, virulent E.coli, Listeria, Campylobacter etc with undesirable consequences like fever, head ache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting besides other long term health problems. Here is a commentary on this queer phenomenon of a few people stubbornly campaigning against pasteurization process and encouraging consumption of only raw milk.       

"Earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control concluded a 13-year study and reported raw-milk products are 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illnesses than pasteurized dairy foods. In January, 81 people in four states developed intestinal infections from raw milk traced to a Franklin County dairy farm, according to the state Department of Health. They were sickened by campylobacter bacteria, which causes fever, diarrhea, vomiting and headaches. At least nine people were hospitalized. "The health issues are considerable," said James Dunn, Ph.D., an agricultural economist at Penn State University. "It doesn't have to be a big mistake to have a big implication. When you pasteurize milk, it kills the germs." Conventional milk is pasteurized in a process that typically heats milk to 161 degrees for 15 seconds to kill bacteria. Advocates of raw milk, though, say it can cure illnesses and protect against diseases. "Pasteurization is the greatest destruction of nutrients of anything we have in this country," said Sally Fallon Morrell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. "Raw milk is an extremely nutrient-dense food." Unpasteurized milk helps protect against asthma, allergies and skin problems and builds strong teeth and bones, Ms. Morrell said.
"These things need to be looked at more," she said.

Some of the justifications touted by the protagonists of raw milk cannot stand scientific scrutiny and many of their claims are just outlandish. It is not correct to say that pasteurization destroys nutrients, creates lactose intolerance, causes allergy and kills active cells supposed to beneficial. Of course the argument that babies fed on breast milk thrive well is a perfectly valid one but it must be remembered that milk is directly transferred from the mother to the child without any out side intervention , thereby eliminating the chances of contamination of the ingested milk. In contrast commercial operations like milking, use of containers, milking environment, chilling, bulk transport, packing etc can cause havoc to the microbial quality of milk and only pasteurization process can stop this eventuality. The compulsions of modern life like ready access to milk 24x7, distribution time, retailing and storage in kitchen for consumption as and when needed all make it imperative to preserve the milk at least for a few days. Not only fluid milk but products made from raw milk including soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, Queso Fresco, Panela, Asadero etc are also considered risky to consume, especially by vulnerable consumers like pregnant women, old people and those with weakened immune system. An interesting issue is that consumption of raw milk in the US has caused only less than 1000 milk related safety episodes since 1998 and therefore it would be better to leave those insisting on consuming raw milk to continue to do so, in stead of arguing the case against the practice.   

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com