Is Raw Milk Worth The Risk? Truth About Raw Milk And Its Potential For Contamination
Raw milk, long debated as healthier and nutritious than pasteurized milk by enthusiasts but strongly cautioned against by health practitioners, is now a hot topic in health and wellness circles with the increasing popularity of "natural" and "unprocessed" foods. The dangers surrounding raw milk have been brought to the forefront with the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, highlighting the risk of contamination in raw milk supplies. All about raw milk, its risks, and the latest science.
Raw milk is unpasteurized milk taken directly from cows, goats, or other similar animals. Unpasteurized milk does not go through the heat treatment process meant to destroy harmful pathogens and bacteria. Raw milk proponents say that pasteurization kills nutrients and enzymes. And that might be one false claim after another, as science continues to disprove it.
According to Dr. Meghan Davis of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, pasteurization does not significantly alter the concentration of minerals or the quality of proteins in milk. In fact, it's a critical step to ensure food safety, particularly for animal-derived products prone to contamination.
Wellness influencers have in recent times advocated for raw milk as the "clean" and "natural" alternative to commercial milk distributed in stores, using claims from improved digestion to the stimulation of the immune system. However, these claims are not scientifically proven. Although raw milk contains antibodies, the amounts are too small to be worth anything for health.
Raw milk consumption poses immense risks. It can become contaminated in two major ways:
1. Internal Contamination: Pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter can seep into milk through infected animals.
2. External Contamination: Polluted water, dirt, manure, and contaminated equipment introduce harmful microorganisms.
The infections acquired from raw milk include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and fever, and severe effects can be experienced by infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and even immunocompromised people. Some other rare but serious diseases like hemolytic uremic syndrome, which may bring about renal failure or stroke, have also been associated with raw milk.
Raw milk has become a focal point of the latest bird flu outbreak as preliminary genetic analysis indicates the H5N1 virus, which causes avian flu, may have begun infecting cattle earlier than thought. And the CDC says viral particles have been found in raw milk, which adds one more risk to consuming unpasteurized dairy.
A notable case was with sick and dead cats on a Texas dairy farm that resulted from ingesting unpasteurized milk from infected cows. This presents how unpasteurized milk can be a vector for transmitting diseases.
To reduce the risk, the FDA prohibited the interstate sale of unpasteurized milk in the United States. Different states, however, have their respective regulations on this matter:
- 20 states completely banned the sale of unpasteurized milk.
- 30 states allow raw milk sales under specified conditions.
Although these laws exist for protection of public health, many consumers are not even aware of the dangers associated with their consumption.
Pasteurization destroys harmful bacteria without affecting the nutritional content of milk. Several studies in *Nutrition Today* report that pasteurization does not change the nutrient profile of milk. Pasteurized milk is free from pathogens and, therefore, also a safer alternative for all consumers, especially vulnerable ones.
It's not just raw milk that's hazardous. Cheese, yogurt, and ice cream with unpasteurized milk carry the same dangers. To anyone tempted by the supposed health value of raw dairy, experts say in one voice: stick to pasteurized, and avoid illnesses like bird flu or salmonella infection.
Health organizations, including the FDA, CDC, and American Academy of Pediatrics, strongly advise against consuming raw milk. Beyond the personal health risks, drinking raw milk can also endanger others by increasing the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses.
The emergence of H5N1 in cattle and its link to raw milk calls the world to wake up to better preparedness. Like COVID-19, bird flu has demonstrated vulnerabilities in our food safety systems. The presence of avian flu in raw milk underscores the imperative for strict rules, public education, and investments in the prevention of these diseases.
Could this outbreak push governments and health organizations to step up surveillance and vaccination efforts against zoonotic diseases? The lessons learned from COVID-19 suggest a coordinated approach is essential to prevent future pandemics.
On the other hand, raw milk is far riskier and has far fewer benefits than its apparent healthy, "natural" choice. From bacterial contamination to the allowance of viruses like H5N1, there is evidence that is clear: pasteurization cannot be wished away. As we face new health challenges, it will be science over trends that safeguard public health.
Credit: iStock
Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, but an estimated 645 million people still went hungry, while rising food prices linked to the Middle East conflict threaten to slow progress, according to a new UN report.
An estimated 7.8 percent of the global population—around 645 million people—were affected by hunger in 2025, down from 8.1 percent in 2024 and 8.6 percent in 2022, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report released on Tuesday by five UN agencies—FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.
The figure represents 14 million fewer hungry people than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than in 2022, marking the third consecutive year of improvement.
"While we welcome the clear progress we have made in reducing hunger, a healthy diet still remains unaffordable for one in three people globally. Obesity is rising and progress on maternal and child nutrition is stalling," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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Despite the decline in hunger, 25.8 percent of the world's population—around 2.1 billion people—experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, meaning they were forced at times to compromise on the quality or quantity of the food they consumed.
This is down from 27.1 percent in 2024 and 28.7 percent in 2020, equivalent to 86 million fewer people than in 2024 and 135 million fewer than in 2020, although levels remain above those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Africa is now home to the largest number of hungry people, with 309 million affected.
More than half (56.6 percent) of Africa's population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, compared with:
Women continue to be disproportionately affected by food insecurity, although the gender gap narrowed slightly in 2025.
The report warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could delay global efforts to end hunger by driving up food prices through higher energy and fertilizer costs.
Depending on how long the crisis affects food inflation, 510–520 million people could still face hunger by 2030, compared with 503 million projected before the conflict, the report said.
It also noted that other risks—including extreme weather events such as El Niño in 2026 and 2027—were not included in these projections and could further worsen the outlook.
The report warned that the conflict, combined with extreme weather and declining humanitarian funding, threatens to reverse recent gains in reducing global hunger.
"This report is a stark reminder that food systems fail millions of children and families. Food, health, education and social protection must go hand in hand to protect the most vulnerable children and women from global shocks," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Nutritious food has become up to 25 percent more expensive over the past five years, leaving 2.69 billion people—nearly one in three globally—unable to afford a healthy diet.
The average global cost of a healthy diet rose to US$4.28 (PPP) per person per day in 2025, up from US$3.44 in 2021 and US$2.94 in 2017.
Dr Ghebreyesus urged governments to adopt policies that make "healthy food the easy choice," including promoting breastfeeding, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, taxing unhealthy products, and protecting children from harmful food marketing.
"Healthy diets are not a luxury—they are the foundation of health and must be within everyone's reach," he said.
Credit: AHA
Love your daily cup of coffee? The way you brew it could make a difference—not just for its taste, but also for your cholesterol levels.
A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), published in the peer-reviewed journal Circulation, stated that for most healthy adults, drinking up to five cups of black caffeinated coffee a day (up to 400 mg of caffeine) is safe and may even benefit heart health.
However, the statement, based on a review of the latest evidence on caffeine and cardiovascular health, noted that the brewing method matters because some types of coffee contain compounds that can raise LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.
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According to the AHA, moderate consumption of black, caffeinated coffee without added sugar, cream, or flavored syrups has been linked to several cardiovascular benefits.
A review of the latest evidence found that drinking three to five 8-ounce cups of regular black coffee daily was associated with a lower risk of:
"Caffeine consumed in coffee is a key part of daily life for millions of people, and in our review of the most recent research, for most adults, intake of up to 400 mg of caffeine/day, the equivalent of up to five cups of caffeinated coffee per day without added sugars or fillers, is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk," said Gregory M. Marcus, chair of the scientific statement writing group and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
While coffee itself may support heart health, the AHA highlighted one naturally occurring compound—cafestol—that can raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
Cafestol is found in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, but its levels depend on how the coffee is prepared.
Cafestol, associated with increased LDL cholesterol levels, is high in unfiltered coffee, including:
In contrast, paper-filtered coffee and instant coffee contain little to no cafestol, making them a better choice for people concerned about cholesterol.
Read More: US Cardiologist Explains Why 2026 AHA Cholesterol Guidelines Recommend Starting Young
The statement also found that coffee's effect on blood pressure is complex, and they called for more studies to better understand this relationship.
Yet the findings revealed that among people with normal blood pressure, drinking one to three cups a day was associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension, while consuming more than three cups daily was linked to a lower risk.
Although caffeine may temporarily reduce insulin sensitivity, regular consumption of black caffeinated coffee has been linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Researchers believe this benefit is likely due to compounds in coffee other than caffeine.
The AHA cautioned that the findings do not apply to energy drinks or energy shots. These products contain much higher concentrations of caffeine—around 40–69 mg per fluid ounce, roughly three to four times more than regular brewed coffee—and have been linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and other cardiovascular risks, even in healthy adults under 30.
Marcus stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for caffeine intake because people respond differently based on age, genetics, medications, underlying health conditions, and how quickly they metabolize caffeine.
He advised people to pay attention to how their body responds to caffeine and discuss their intake with their healthcare provider if they experience symptoms such as palpitations, anxiety, or sleep disturbances.
Credit: iStock
Nutritious food has become up to 25% more expensive over the past five years, leaving nearly one-third of the global population unable to afford a healthy diet, according to a new report released by the United Nations.
The 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), estimates that a healthy diet now costs an average of US$4.28 (S$5.52) in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars per person per day.
"A healthy diet costs 25% more than it did five years ago. One-third of the global population can't afford it. The cost of a healthy diet shows where agrifood systems investments can have the greatest impact," Máximo Torero Cullen, the FAO's Chief Economist, wrote in a post on social media platform X.
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The full report, to be presented on July 21 at the organization's headquarters in Rome, found that the cost of a healthy diet is unevenly distributed across different food groups.
"The challenge is not to produce enough calories; it is to make nutrient-rich foods more affordable," Torero said during a press conference, as quoted by AFP. The full report will be presented July 21 at the organization's headquarters in Rome.
He emphasized that strengthening local food production could significantly lower the cost of healthy diets.
Torero also highlighted two major uncertainties that could further drive up global food prices:
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While eating a healthy diet is widely recommended to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, experts say there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Nutritional needs vary based on factors such as age, health status, activity level, and cultural preferences.
According to Harvard Health, the key principles of a healthy diet include:
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