Summary
Michael Hobbs and Aubrey Gordon trace the full history of raw milk in the United States, from the deadly "swill milk" dairies of 1850s New York through Louis Pasteur's breakthrough, to the modern resurgence driven by the Weston A. Price Foundation. They examine CDC data showing raw milk is linked to 150 times more outbreaks than pasteurized milk, and how pasteurization reduces only negligible amounts of vitamins already present in trace quantities. The episode profiles key figures in the raw milk movement including Mark McAfee of Raw Farm USA, whose products have been recalled for bird flu and salmonella, and Amish farmer Amos Miller, who refuses to obtain permits. The hosts connect the movement to broader anti-science and anti-government sentiment amplified during COVID, and highlight that children are the most vulnerable victims of raw milk advocacy.
Key Points
- CDC data shows raw milk causes 150 times more outbreaks than pasteurized milk over a 13-year period
- Pasteurization heats milk to 145 degrees for under a minute, killing E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and tuberculosis
- Pasteurization reduces negligible vitamin amounts: a full pint of raw milk contains 0% daily vitamin C
- The Weston A. Price Foundation and its Campaign for Real Milk have driven the modern raw milk movement since the late 1990s
- Raw Farm USA (Mark McAfee) has faced dozens of recalls, federal charges, and a 2024 bird flu recall
- Only about 4.4% of American adults consumed raw milk in the past year, but consumption is rising 21%
- The raw milk movement has become politicized, intersecting with anti-vax sentiment and libertarian food freedom rhetoric
- Children given raw milk by parents are the most at-risk population, unable to consent to the danger
Key Moments
Raw milk is linked to 150 times more outbreaks than pasteurized milk
A 13-year CDC study covering all 50 states found that raw milk was linked to 150 times more outbreaks than pasteurized milk, and states where raw milk sale was legal had twice the incidence of foodborne illness outbreaks.
"The study's authors concluded that raw milk was linked to 150 times more outbreaks than pasteurized milk. They also found that states where raw milk sale was legal had twice the incidence of foodborne illness outbreaks."
Pasteurization removes negligible vitamins from milk
A 2011 systematic review of 40 studies found pasteurization reduced some vitamins, but a full pint of raw milk contains 0% daily vitamin C and only 3% daily vitamin E, making the losses nutritionally irrelevant.
"A couple of four examples. Pasteurization reduces the amount of vitamin C in milk, okay. But a full pint of raw milk contains 0% of your vitamin C for the day. Oh, wow. Okay. Vitamin E, that same full pint of raw milk, gets you to 3% of your recommended daily allowance. Pasteurized."
The Weston A. Price Foundation drives the modern raw milk movement
The Weston A. Price Foundation, founded by Sally Fallon Morrell, has been the most influential organization promoting raw milk through its Campaign for Real Milk and the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
"One of the biggest priorities of the foundation is raw milk. They don't usually call it raw milk. They call it real milk."
Raw Farm USA recalls and bird flu denial
Mark McAfee of Raw Farm USA has faced numerous recalls including one for bird flu in December 2024, yet publicly denies that viruses can exist in raw milk and calls avian flu fears ridiculous.
"We don't think avian flu causes things to be unsafe. You may think I'm some kind of crazy person, but show me one person who's ever gotten sick from raw milk with avian flu. Viruses don't exist in raw milk. They die off quickly. Fearing viruses is ridiculous."
