We frequently hear stories of people getting E.Coli and other bacterial infections from consuming raw materials. Raw milk is no different. We hear about the dangers of raw milk, so that begs the question, should it be legal to sell raw milk? What are the risks and benefits to raw milk?
On a personal level, I believe that it should be legal to sell raw milk. One has a right to consume what they feel appropriate. Much like raw meat, I believe that if someone sells raw milk, that a warning sticker should be required to warn people about the dangers of raw milk consumption.
Raw milk has benefits, and the risk is actually lower than one might think. According to an article online by Chris Kresser who has been studying medicine for 8 or so years,"We found that, though the relative risk of becoming ill from drinking raw milk is about 9 times greater than it is from drinking pasteurized milk, the absolute risk of developing a serious illness (i.e. one that would require hospitalization) from drinking raw milk is exceedingly small: about 1 in 6 million."
Raw milk also has a number of nutrients not found in pasteurized milk. According to realmilk.com, which lists a number of nutrients and a protective system that is healthy to the human body, "This five-fold protective system destroys pathogens in the milk, stimulates the Immune system, builds healthy gut wall, prevents absorption of pathogens and toxins in the gut and ensures assimilation of all the nutrients." There are white blood cells in unpasteurized milk that helps fight off illnesses as well.
The FDA is constantly making raw milk out to be a serious health concern. Although the risk for disease is higher, the risk is still relatively low. Although those with immune problems, small children, elderly, and those susceptible to illness should probably stay away, it should not be illegal to sell raw milk. People should know what they are consuming, and many consume raw milk with perfect knowledge of what they are putting into their bodies.
Frequently, the media coverage will talk about the dangers of raw milk if there is even one incident of raw milk causing a sickness. For every person that gets sick from raw milk, there are millions of people who do not get sick from raw milk. It's important to be cautious, but it is not necessary to completely ban the sale of raw milk.
Again to reiterate...
It is known that their is a higher number of bacteria in raw milk, but that should have no effect on whether or not it is legal because people should know what they are consuming before they consume it.
There are many ethical questions that get brought up when thinking about raw milk. One is about the selling of raw milk and if that is even ethical. The people selling the raw milk have responsibility to ensure that their milk is not contaminated. Sometimes those standards are not met, which can be unethical. Many times, however, the people selling raw milk are local farmers who sell it to local people who know what they are drinking.
Farmers need to also ensure that the cows they are using are healthy. The equipment should also be sanitary as to try to minimize the potential for deadly bacteria living in the milk. It is tough to get it all because the bacteria is in the milk itself, and sometimes not a result of a sick cow or unsanitary equipment for retrieving the milk.
Other ethical issues may arise from the people who buy the raw milk. Many people want to support local farmers who sell the milk, and don't want to give money to the big companies. Sometimes that means buying and consuming the raw milk. It is tough to decide whether that is ethical or unethical because most of the farmers they buy from you would think are trustworthy that they wouldn't sell milk with deadly bacteria in it purposely.
I, myself have never had raw milk before, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying it. Raw milk clearly has some benefits and some risks to it. I've heard that raw milk even has more flavor than pasturized milk, but I cannot say whether that is true or false. I would like to give it a try sometime, but in the meantime, I am still against raw milk being illegal. People know what they are consuming, so if they choose to put themselves at a low-risk of putting bacteria in their bodies, they should be allowed to do that.
http://www.saawinternational.org/cow2.jpg
Until next time my friends.
It should be ones decision to consume raw milk. However, stores and dairy farmers also need to take an initiative to make sure that the raw milk inside the container does not come into contact with anything else. Say for example in the process of bottling some of the raw milk spills out of the container and down the side. Microorganisms from that product are now on the outside of the glass. Then the bottle goes to the supermarket where a noisy child picks up said bottle and how now potentially contaminated their hands with particles of milk that were still on the outside of the bottle. While I understand that this situation is extremely hypothetical and a little bit a of stretch producers of raw milk should definitely be subject to making sure their bottles are labeled effectively. In the same respect, should it be the responsibility of those selling the milk to make sure that raw milk products stay separate from pasteurized ones?
ReplyDeleteHey Andy, you made some interesting points in your essay about the ethics of raw milk consumption and sale. Your main argument seems to be that " One has a right to consume what they feel appropriate." Although I agree that we should be able to mostly chose what we eat and drink I am wondering if you feel the same way about other substances that are largely illegal in the United States. Do foods such as magic-mushrooms fall under the same category as milk as they also pose some health risks? my question to you would be where is the cut-off of what is appropriate and is that cut-off different for everybody or should it be regulated and the same for the whole population? Your writing is clear and informative. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi Andy. First of all, Tim's comment was outrageous. Second of all, great job on the review. I really liked that you brought in outside sources and it really increased your credibility and aided your argument well. In reference to Tim, I agree that there should be some limit to what is appropriate to consider but drugs are a whole different argument than a normal food.
ReplyDeleteWell done my man.