Should I buy raw milk from a local farmer and pasteurize it at home to be sure I don drink milk from bST supplemented cows?
While it is possible to do this, there are several risks involved that a consumer should be aware of before they begin this practice. About 2 to 10% of raw milk contains harmful bacteria (such as, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, E. coli 0157:H7 and possibly other pathogens). These disease causing bacteria are all killed by commercial pasteurization. There is very strict regulatory inspection, control, and testing of milk processing equipment and personnel to ensure that commercially pasteurized milk does not contain pathogenic bacteria and that milk is not recontaminated after it is pasteurized. When pasteurization of milk is done at home, there is always a possibility that the milk will not be fully pasteurized or that it will be contaminated after pasteurization. In addition, all milk from commercial processing plants is tested for the presence of antibiotics prior to processing and bottling. If a consumer buys raw milk directly from a dairy farmer, that consumer has abandoned t
