Getting to know your farmer is always a good thing, and never more so than in the case of raw milk. It's not enough to say the cows are grass-fed, organic, or raised humanely on a small, local farm. Unpasteurized milk can be risky, with bacterial contamination occurring in/on the animal or during processing, storage, and transport. We asked Amanda Rose, author of the Raw Milk Consumer Guide, to describe some of the most important safety concerns, along with questions to ask your dairy farmer.
"In the old days of raw milk (just a couple of years ago)," says Rose, "many raw milk advocates insisted that raw milk could not be contaminated – that raw milk has protective bacteria that kills pathogens. With several high-profile outbreaks where the outbreak pathogen strain was found at the dairy itself, this notion is basically outdated. Consumers now want to find a dairy that is producing milk less likely to be contaminated."
Rose points out that "raw milk will always be a riskier beverage pathogen-wise than it would be if we heated the same milk on our stove top," but one can reduce the risk by sourcing wisely. Building a relationship of understanding and trust might include meeting the farmer, visiting the dairy, and talking to employees at the farmer's market. Ultimately, it's a personal decision, but it can be helpful to have some questions as a guide. Rose recommends that consumers focus on different types of questions depending on the size of the farm.
Large dairy (30+ cows)
• Do you test for pathogens? How often?
• How did you respond after your last bad pathogen test?
Rose says: I would ask about their pathogen testing protocol. They are big enough that they can afford to test. Ask how regularly they test and what they do when they get a bad test result back. If they claim to have a perfect record of pathogen tests and they have been in business for a while, I would be hesitant to buy. Bad test results are a fact of life and the best dairies face them and make improvements accordingly.
Medium dairy (3+ cows)
• What kind of equipment do you use for milking? How often is it cleaned?
• How quickly do you cool down the milk? How do you keep it cold?
Rose says: I would ask first about their milking practices. They are too small to afford regular testing but they are big enough that they should have milking equipment that is sanitized regularly and a milking area that can be cleaned thoroughly. They should be able to cool their milk immediately and keep it cool. At this size, I would consider a muddy floor and dirty milk barn to be warning signs.
Small dairy (1-2 cows)
• How do you prepare the animal for milking?
• How quickly do you cool down the milk? How do you keep it cold?
Rose says: For an "itty bitty" dairy, you will need to keep your ears open and listen to their story. The dairy is definitely too small to afford testing and probably milks into an open bucket. On the positive side, you will be consuming milk from just a few animals, which is theoretically less risky. On the other hand, their equipment will not be ideal from a food safety point of view. Ask how they milk hygienically and how they cool their milk and keep it cool. The details they provide you should reveal how much care they take. It is not straightforward to milk into a bucket and then cool the milk quickly. They will have a story to tell if they do, and the story will vary by farm.
Of course, it goes without saying that one should ask politely and not simply go down a laundry list of questions. For more tips on interviewing and choosing a raw dairy farmer, check out Rose's full report, linked below.
Read the report: Raw Milk Consumer Guide: How to Choose Your Raw Dairy Farmer: Questions to Ask and Red Flags at Traditional Foods
Related: Is Raw Milk Worth It? Dan Barber Says Yes.
(Image: Emily Ho)
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_Food Safety News_ tracks health issues related to the consumption of fluid raw milk in the US.
As of May, "So far this year, at least 18 people have been sickened by Campylobacter from raw goat milk sold in Kansas, 80 people became ill from Campylobacter-contaminated raw cow milk produced by a Pennsylvania farm, and 9 were infected by Campylobacter from raw milk products sold by a San Benito County, CA dairy. Fourteen E. coli O157:H7 infections have been linked to raw cow milk in central Missouri and a raw milk outbreak in Oregon has sickened 19 people with E. coli O157:H7 infections, one with Cryptosporidium and one with Campylobacter." Three children have needed kidney transplants.
If you are going to consume raw milk you should be a consenting adult. This is not merely a matter of "knowing your farmer."
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/10-infected-with-campylobacter-from-raw-milk-in-california/
Seriously? You think any of these dairy farms can afford to not do pathogen testing? It's not that much per sample to do a CMT and takes all of a minute. Won't tell you what it is, whether it's likely to be enzootic or opportunistic, but tells you you have a cow with mastitis. This is ridiculous advice. What does the average person know about managing a dairy and how to assess herd health? Food borne illness fell by almost 50% when milk had to be pasteurised.