Raw milk is a milk unpasteurizednot subjected to any thermal treatment, marketed freshly owned and which maintains its composition intact, including any pathogens. Some claim that he has health benefits, as a probiotic effect and a greater presence of vitamins, but these statements they are not always supported by science. On the contrary, the possible presence of pathogens, such as Escherichia And Salmonellacan cause even serious food poisoning with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and muscle pain. For this reason, Italian law imposes restrictions on its consumption and on its sale: It cannot be used in school canteensmust come from healthy animals and respect precise microbiological limits, for example, the total bacterial load in cow’s milk must not exceed 100,000 UFC/ml). In addition, even if raw milk can be sold, it must report the indication “to be consumed by boiling“In short, raw milk can be an interesting choice for those looking for a less worked product, but it is essential to consume it with awareness and respecting the health precautions.
What is and what is meant by raw milk
The raw milk It is basically a milk that is not subjected to any thermal treatment After the milking and represents a pasteurized milk alternative for lovers of Raw Tastea more “authentic” flavor. As soon as it is shit, it is filtered and cooled at 4 ° C, preserving its original composition, even unfortunately as regards the bacteria present at the time of milking: in fact It does not undergo any treatment to lower the microbial charge.
The lack of thermal treatments, however, exposes it to possible contaminations. Moreover, raw milk is a food not standardized: its quality depends on the hygiene of milking, the health of animals and the conservation conditions. This makes it more unpredictable Compared to pasteurized milk, which undergoes rigorous checks to guarantee constant safety and quality.
The hoaxes on raw milk
According to some studies, raw milk maintains some properties that would be lost during pasteurization. Among the hypothetical benefits we could mention the presence of good bacteria, which would encourage the balance of the intestinal microbiota, or also the presence of enzymes and vitamins thermolable, that is, they break and are lost with the high temperatures of the pasteurization process.
There Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a series of searches to dispel some false myths that revolved around raw milk, which remind us that in science, as well as in life, only the positive sides should be observed, but we must always make a risk-benefit assessment. Once it was thought that raw milk had a concentration of immunoglobulins (antibodies) higher than that sold in supermarkets and that for this reason the children raised in farms had a much stronger immune system than those raised in the city, thanks to the consumption since the birth of raw milk. Let’s dispel this myth: first of all the concentration of immunoglobulins in milk has a insignificant dosage (below 1 mg/ml) in order to be effective on the immune system; They are also enough heat stable And therefore they are not destroyed by pasteurization.
Some supporters of raw milk also affirm that it is essential to prevent theosteoporosis, but There is no scientific evidence In support of this thesis, also because pasteurized milk still represents a good intake of calcium, vitamin D and proteins, indispensable for bone development.
The risks of raw milk on health
According to the FDAraw milk can be contaminated by pathogens which can significantly increase the risk of contracting diseases in consumers. Healthy animals in themselves do not produce contaminated milk (and if they are sick they are not milking), in fact the bacterial contamination takes place mainly at the time of milking, of the collection and storage. But one thing must underline: raw milk can be contaminated with pathogens even when it comes from animals clinically healthy.
For example, the cow may seem healthy and healthy, without showing evident signs of an invalidating disease, but it can suffer from mastitis (breast infection): the milk, crossing the channels that transport the milk (Dotti Galattoofori) can contaminate himself.
Among the pathogens potentially present in raw milk, they undoubtedly stand out bacteriamainly Salmonella, Escherichia coli And Listeriaresponsible for food poisoning. Especially if not preserved correctly, raw milk can cause various disorders, with symptoms such as vomitdiarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and muscle pain. Children, elderly people, pregnant women And immunosuppressed people They are the people most at risk of serious complications.
