#19,041
Despite the overwhelming evidence (see ASM's Raw Milk Microbiology: Unfiltered and Unfriendly) of the potential harm from consuming raw milk products - and the discovery of HPAI H5N1 in more than 1000 dairy herds in the U.S. - the sale of raw milk remains `legal' (via a series of loopholes) across nearly the entire United States.
A 2022 study published in the Journal of Food Protection reported:
Results show that 4.4% of U.S. adults reported consuming raw milk at least once in the past year, with 1.6% reporting frequent consumption of raw milk (once per month or more often) and 1.0% reporting consumption once per week or more often
Some states restrict raw milk sale to `pet use' only, but nothing prevents the purchaser from using it personally. Pets, however, are not immune to the pathogens that may be present in unpasteurized milk (see California: LA County Health Dept - Suspected H5 Bird Flu Detected in Los Angeles County Cats That Consumed Recalled Raw Milk).
Other states, including New Mexico, have far fewer restrictions (see map above).
The CDC warns:
Human consumption of unpasteurized, or raw, milk is a serious public health concern.1 Pathogens found in raw milk that would be otherwise destroyed by pasteurization include E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Listeria, among others.2 Human infection with these pathogens can cause severe illness and death.3
Federal law prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk across state lines, but individual state laws govern the sale of unpasteurized milk within the state. These state laws vary widely. While some states prohibit the sale of unpasteurized milk to consumers, other states allow its sale in retail stores or on the farm where the milk was produced.
What may cause mild-to-moderate case of `food poisoning' in a healthy adult can sometimes become a deadly crisis in very young children, the elderly, and those who may be otherwise immunocompromised.
Today we have the following statement from the New Mexico Department of Health on a suspected raw-milk linked listeriosis death of a newborn.
Health department warns against consuming raw dairy products
February 3, 2026 - Public Health - Awareness
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health is warning New Mexicans to avoid raw dairy products following the death of a newborn from Listeria infection.
Health officials believe the most likely source of infection was unpasteurized milk the infant's mother drank during pregnancy. While investigators cannot pinpoint the exact cause, the tragic death underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, young children, elderly New Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system.
"Individuals who are pregnant should only consume pasteurized milk products to help prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexican Department of Health (NMDOH).
Pasteurization is a process of briefly heating milk to a high enough temperature to kill germs.
Raw milk can contain numerous disease-causing germs, including Listeria, which is bacteria that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, or fatal infection in newborns, even if the mother is only mildly ill. Listeria is also able to invade the bloodstream of people with compromised immune systems, causing serious infections and sometimes death.
Consuming raw milk products can also expose people to other pathogens, including avian influenza, Brucella, Tuberculosis, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium and E. coli. Some of these diseases are particularly dangerous for children under 5 and adults over 65.
“New Mexico’s dairy producers work hard to provide safe, wholesome products and pasteurization is a vital part of that process,” said Jeff M. Witte, New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture. “Consumers, particularly those at higher risk, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness.”
For more information, visit:
https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/raw-milk.html
https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/about/index.html
https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/eip/foodnet/listeria/
Listeriosis is a particularly severe form of food poisoning. The CDC reports:
CDC estimates that listeriosis is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness with about 172 deaths per year.
Nearly everyone with listeriosis is hospitalized. The case-fatality rate is about 20%. Nearly 25% of pregnancy-associated cases result in fetal loss or death of the newborn.
And:
Foods Linked to U.S. Outbreaks of ListeriosisThe `raw milk' movement in the United States continues to grow, despite cautionary reports of HPAI and other pathogens detected in retail samples (see California: CDFA Announces Another Recall of H5 Contaminated Raw Milk and California: Marin County HHS Investigating A Suspected Avian Flu Patient Who Consumed Raw Milk).
Past listeriosis outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raw, unpasteurized milk and unpasteurized milk products, certain types of cheeses like pasteurized or unpasteurized queso fresco-type cheeses; raw or processed vegetables; raw or processed fruits; raw or undercooked poultry, sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, ice cream; and raw or smoked fish and other seafood. L. monocytogenes has also been found in raw pet food.