Sale of raw milk would harm kids, adults

As the Illinois Department of Public Health advances rules governing the sale of raw milk, The Illinois State Medical Society remains opposed to the sale and distribution of "raw" or unpasteurized milk in any form. Federal law prohibits dairies from distributing raw milk across state lines in final package form, and about half of U.S. states prohibit the sale of raw milk completely.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other medical and health organizations, raw milk that is not pasteurized may contain a wide variety of harmful bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, that can cause serious illness and, in extreme cases, death. And studies show that children, particularly, are most susceptible to illness due to consuming unpasteurized raw milk.

Pasteurization, simply put, is heating milk to a high temperature and then rapidly cooling it to eliminate harmful bacteria, yet maintaining the milk's freshness for an extended period of time. Even the Illinois Farm Bureau advocates that individuals drink pasteurized milk.

The medical society believes allowing for the sale of unpasteurized raw milk to consumers in Illinois in any form puts the public at considerable risk and should not be allowed.

William A. McDade, M.D.

President, Illinois State Medical Society

Chicago