Drinking raw milk; is it really such a good idea?
Drinking raw milk: straight from the cow… is that something that makes you think, ‘yes please, pour me a glass glugglugglug’? Or do you prefer your milk neatly pasteurized, spotlessly clean before it goes into the milk frother or tea? Apparently, filling up on milk at the farm is quite popular, prompting the Netherlands Nutrition Centre to issue a warning.
Because drinking raw milk, even if it has been poured into a bottle that has (hopefully) been properly chilled by the farmer, can make you seriously ill. Why do people do it anyway? Because they believe that milk fresh from the cow (or goat, donkey, buffalo, or any other mammal) is healthier than pasteurized milk. Or tastier. There are stories going around that raw milk could strengthen the immune system.
No convincing evidence
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that raw milk actually does anything for your health. What is certain is that drinking raw milk increases your risk of contracting a foodborne infection. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) also says that raw milk can contain bacteria such as salmonella, listeria, and E. coli (the ‘poop bacterium’), so it is better not to drink it.
Don’t drink it, do eat it
And look, we’re not the fussiest people. Except when it comes to things like andouillette and eating snakes, we’re not particularly squeamish. We happily eat raw fish, and we generally don’t turn down a plate of steak tartare either. But drinking raw milk? It just doesn’t sound… particularly appealing to me.
Raw-milk cheese, on the other hand: yes please, right now! And although you shouldn’t eat it when you’re pregnant (but you can definitely eat the cheeses on this list when you’re pregnant), we’re happy to take comfort in the idea that the cheese fermentation process really does kill off at least some of the potentially harmful bacteria.
Be careful
But if your immune system is vulnerable, that means you won’t necessarily recover on your own after a foodborne infection. For vulnerable groups such as pregnant people, babies and young children, older people, and those with an illness-related weakened immune system, food hygiene is especially important.
Do you absolutely insist on getting fresh raw milk from the farmer? Then it is advisable to boil it at home before drinking it.
Also read:
- 10 important food safety tips in a row
- How to: choose a plant-based milk
- You won’t believe this: millions of people think chocolate milk comes from here
