How raw milk became a political issue

Raw milk, unlike widely consumed milk, does not undergo the pasteurization process, meaning it is not heated to a temperature high enough to kill viruses and bacteria. According to health regulations, pasteurizing milk has been standard practice in the USA since 1890, and the Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency responsible for food safety, has banned its sale as it is considered a health risk. However, with the victory of the right-wing, things might soon change. From Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy, a staunch advocate of raw milk, to Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who, taking on the role of a virologist, tweeted ahead of the elections, “Raw milk is good for the body. Let’s make America healthy again!” to the sale of T-shirts with the slogan “Got raw milk?” by the pro-Trump organization Turning Point USA, numerous supporters see such significant benefits in raw milk that it has been used as a tool to secure votes during the recent election campaign. Furthermore, according to research conducted by the University of Delaware, the trend has become so widespread across the States that it has increased sales by 21% over the past year.

Strangely, it was a lawsuit filed by the United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA, against a Lancaster County farmer in Pennsylvania—accused of selling the product without proper permits to people who later fell ill—that sparked a genuine movement within the Mormon community. MAGA influencer Scott Presler promised a crowd of Amish voters that the Trump administration would protect the product, turning it into a full-fledged campaign slogan ahead of the elections. This was further bolstered by the support of the controversial queen of trad wives Hannah Neeleman of @ballerinafarm, who, in her TikTok videos, demonstrates how to bake cookies using raw milk. Within the deeply rooted community, the proposal to liberalize the raw milk trade has reportedly led to a surge in votes for the Trump administration, which deems actions against the product overly repressive. Currently, it is legal to sell and consume raw milk in 30 U.S. states under specific licensing requirements, but interstate transport is not permitted. A similar situation exists in the European Union, where regulations for selling the product vary from country to country. 

What is the opinion of experts? While enthusiasts praise the better nutritional profile due to the absence of heat treatment—an advantage confirmed by apolitical wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, who claims to add unpasteurized cream to her coffee every morning—there are numerous dangers, according to Rabia De Latour, a gastroenterologist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. While raw milk and its derivatives may offer potential benefits, including support for gut flora and improved lactose tolerance, it must be noted that they also contain dangerous elements that can cause various infections, as they are not subjected to treatments to eliminate pathogenic bacteria. In California, for instance, the first confirmed case of intoxication in a child was linked to raw milk, and a batch of unpasteurized whole milk was found to be infected with avian flu. State agricultural authorities recently suspended the distribution of raw dairy products from the well-known company Raw Farm, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Confirmations of potential risks also come from Italy: Matteo Bassetti, director of the Infectious Diseases Department at San Martino Polyclinic Hospital in Genoa, stated to Adnkronos: “What we’ve been observing for months are signs that avian flu is aggressively approaching humans; we are surrounded. Cows are the closest animals to humans, from milk to derivatives. Therefore, we must raise our vigilance on the avian flu issue; denying it, as some are doing, does not help. We have vaccines and drugs, and we must organize and provide accurate information.” This stance echoes research by Johns Hopkins University. De Latour thus suggests that to derive the best benefits from dairy products without associated risks, one should substitute raw milk with high-fiber and probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt. Beyond political positions and potential regulatory relaxations by the new U.S. government, as with any topic, responsible and informed choice prevails: the final decision rests on the consumer's free will, guided by a broad spectrum of documented and proven information. But what will happen now that a health trend has become an ideological symbol?