How is raw milk different than pasteurized milk?
Raw milk is unprocessed milk that is drunk just as it comes from the cow, goat or sheep. Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, is heated to kill all disease-causing bacteria that may be found in raw milk. Raw milk can make you sick Raw milk usually comes from farms that have not been approved or inspected, and which are not monitored by government for drug residues such as antibiotics. Some people say they grew up drinking raw milk and never became sick from it. However, public health authorities know of many cases where people got sick from drinking raw milk. While mandatory pasteurization of milk has virtually eliminated large outbreaks of milk borne disease in Canada, occasional cases still remind us of the hazards of raw milk consumption. For example: • In Chilliwack, 5 members of a family became ill with Salmonella from raw goat’s milk. • On Central Vancouver Island, 9 out of 13 kindergarten children became ill with Campylobacter after drinking raw milk while on a school visit to a
