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According to the California Department of Public Health, raw milk has been linked to at least 10 illnesses in California. None of the illnesses have been identified as bird flu, the agency said.
“Since the announcement of multiple recalls of raw milk due to bird flu contamination, state and local health officials have received reports of illness from 10 individuals who claimed to have consumed raw milk. Initial county and state public health laboratory testing has not yet identified any positive bird flu cases in these individuals,” Kalm said. The spokesman said Thursday.
The department did not immediately provide additional information about the 10 illnesses.
Health officials in Northern California are also in A Possible case of bird flu In November, a child became ill after drinking raw milk, Marin County Public Health he said. Tuesday. After drinking raw milk, the child went to a local emergency room with fever and vomiting and was diagnosed with influenza A. The district said. But the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that samples taken from the child were negative for influenza.
Demand for raw milk has surged with support from some famous fans, including President-elect Donald Trump's pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Lead the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Although some enthusiasts claim there are nutritional benefits to drinking raw milk, health experts say any benefits outweigh the harm.
Raw milk and some types of raw cheese can be a source of many types of germs, and laboratory tests show that the bird flu virus found in raw milk can be contagious.
Fresno-based Raw Farms had raw milk and cream products He remembered And distribution of the products was halted last month after samples tested positive for bird flu. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Thursday that two cases of bird flu have been reported in domestic cats that consumed raw milk from Raw Farms.
As the spread of the virus continues to spread, the US Department of Agriculture has announced that it will begin testing raw milk stored in the U.S. Milk silos across the country.
Here's what food scientists and dairy experts have to say about raw milk and the pasteurization process.
Raw milk is not pasteurized, this process removes pathogens, yeasts, molds and other harmful microbes. CDC.
Raw milk can carry pathogens Bacteria According to the US Food and Drug Administration, residues from contaminated breast tissue, washing equipment, or water, soil and cow manure. That's why the CDC recommends eating and drinking pasteurized milk and dairy products instead.
Most milk in the US is pasteurized using high-temperature short-term pasteurization, which involves heating it to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds. International Dairy Foods Association.
The process is named after a French chemist and microbiologist Louis PastorIn the early 1900s, in the United States and Europe, he purified the process by adapting the process to milk for use in alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine to eliminate bovine tuberculosis. approx 65,000 people died. After the disease Eating and drinking unpasteurized dairy products 1912 to 1937 in England and Wales only.
According to Mark McPhee, CEO of Raw Farms, rather than pasteurization, raw milk producers control the cow's health.
“We can immediately identify that cow and make sure she's safe and treat her,” McPhee told .
Uses raw agriculture smaXtec bolusesCapsule sensors are ingested by cows to measure their body temperature, water consumption, activity and general health. The pellets stay in the same place in the reticulum for the life of the cow, not digested or regenerated.
The devices transmit updates wirelessly every 10 minutes. The data is then sorted by AI to quickly provide information to ensure the milk is safe to drink if a cow is sick.
Despite the encouragement, the FDA It is estimated that less than 1% of Americans drink raw milk.
Many fans prefer raw milk over skimmed milk because they prefer the taste, says Dr. William Hallman, a psychologist and professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University.
“One of the reasons is that some raw milk is not homogeneous, which means that the cream floats to the top, for example, some first breasts may be full of cream,” he said.
There are also various psychological factors, Hallman said. Some people believe it's healthier than skimmed milk, while others may choose to support local agriculture or because family, friends or neighbors like it. It's also expensive, with some gallons of raw milk costing twice as much as regular milk at the grocery store.
“Psychologically, it reinforces the idea that this is a premium product because otherwise you wouldn't be able to charge more for it,” he said. “There is a normal effect of this group.”
As of 2011 FDAmost of them Claims The health benefits of raw milk are not true. For example, it won't cure or treat asthma, allergies, or lactose intolerance, and it doesn't have the good gut bacteria that can improve yours. Microbiome.
“Pasteurization is to make sure that the bad bacteria that harm people and make them sick are killed,” says Dr. Rabia de Latour, MD, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Recently, a lot of attention has been given to the concept that 'processed' foods are bad for your health. [Pasteurization] It still provides calcium and vitamin D to the drinker and provides some protein for bone health, but if you're really concerned about your microbiome, I believe there are safe ways to improve it.
Some ways Improve your gut microbiome. Include high fiber and fermented foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains Extra virgin olive oil.
Raw milk a Neutral pH and high nutrient and water contentResearch shows that it creates a favorable environment for bacteria and other dangerous pathogens.
“Milk is about 87% moisture, and microbes like more moisture,” says Alex O'Brien, food safety and quality coordinator at the Dairy Research Center. The more water available, the easier it is for them to grow.
The CDC opens the door to drinking or eating products made from raw milk. Many harmful germsincluding E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Brucella. Another strain, Cryptosporidium, can cause very dangerous diarrhea in people with HIV or AIDS, de Latour says.
These foodborne illnesses can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Sometimes, they can be They lead to serious situations such as Guillain-Barré or hemolytic uremic syndrome. The germs are more likely to cause health problems in children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Raw milk can be used to make raw cheese, and proponents say it has a better and more complex flavor than cream cheese. According to Dr. Don Schaffner, professor of food science at Rutgers University, the health risks from raw milk cheese can be greatly reduced depending on the type of cheese.
Hard aged raw milk cheeses like cheddar, Asiago, Parmesan or Swiss are much less expensive than soft raw milk cheeses like queso fresco, feta, Camembert or Brie, Schaffner said.
“Soft raw milk cheeses are not as old … and probably pose the same risk as raw milk,” he said.
CDC says Soft cheeses with high moisture content are more likely to be contaminated with Listeria bacteria.
“There's salt that's added to the cheese, and there's rennet and other additives that make the cheese curdle the milk,” Hallman said. “That aging process and the addition of salt can basically reduce pathogens. That doesn't mean it's risk-free, which is why eating raw milk cheese can be somewhat dangerous if you're pregnant or have an immune system or are an adult.”
The US Public Health Service created the Standard Milk Act in 1924 to promote pasteurization practices and eliminate harmful bacteria that could cause typhoid and scarlet fever as well as tuberculosis.
The rule, now Provision of pasteurized milkLists the requirements for laboratory testing of milk and milk products for quality and safety.
Before the experts gained wide acceptance of this approach, approx 25% of all diseases epidemic They were milk-born in the US.
According to the FDAIn the US, about one person becomes ill for every 2 billion consumptions of pasteurized dairy products.
Pasteurization has been “remarkably effective in reducing milk-borne disease,” Schaffner said. “Any biological organism has optimal conditions that it chooses, and those are immobilized from different organisms. Heat is a very straightforward technology and is easy to apply, and its effect on pathogens is well known.
Some health experts believe that people may continue to consume raw milk despite the health risks because they believe that the overall risk of illness is low.
“Some people are extremely optimistic, and believe that if there are risks, they are more likely to apply to other people,” says Hallman. “In this case, they focus mainly on the health benefits and it's more convenient to do that while ignoring the risks. They overstate the benefits and downplay the risks to justify their choices.
Because of this, raw milk has become a very popular topic Kennedy's vocal support Also, social media influencers and “Gwyneth Paltrows of the world,” Hallman said. Paltrow says she drinks raw cream in her coffee.
“The evidence for these health benefits is not clear, but the risks certainly are,” he said. “Having worked on a farm and lived around cattle, I can assure you that everything around those animals is not clean. There is this romanticized view, which is completely unrealistic.
Like Kennedy said on social media, the loyalty and standing of those who support the product Post In October, that raw milk was one of a long list of items facing “stressful repression,” and it appears to have played a role in the recent focus on raw milk.