That would be a good thing!
Bovine TB is apparently also able to jump and spread through contact between a variety of different mamals and just not cattle?
The local dairy and cattle industries would have then been part of a statewide and national program to eliminate the disease.
An article regarding raw (unpasteurised) milk.
I thought that bathing in raw milk went out of fashion with Cleopatra, or at least after Benny Hillâs smash hit 'The fastest Milk Cart In THe West".
The US Center for Disease Control has some factual information on the risks of raw milk
Raw milk has significant risks if the milk is contaminated with âbadâ bacteria/microbes which can result in preventable illnesses and even death. I have used the term preventable as if milk is pasteurised, the risks are mitigated and milk becomes far safer to drink.
As Australia has had pasteurised milk from several generation, often it is forgotten the illnesses and deaths caused when milk was routinely drunk raw, before pasteurisation. Counties which allow raw milk to be sold have disease outbreaks from time to time due to raw milk consumption. Pasteurisation prevents these outbreaks.
There is an alternate position concerning the production and sale of raw milk under strict health conditions. These may include 100% batch testing of the product prior to release for sale. Although raw milk does change in taste and texture as it ages.
Itâs unlikely that discussion point will go away anytime soon, despite the small number of regular users.
One of the attractions of raw milk sales is that many are direct to users or a single retail outlet. A second is the premium price often charged for the product.
The local dairy, goat, camel, etc raw milk producer has a vested interest in promoting/agitating for sales of the product.
There are some survey reports available online, however, they are typically selective.
One USA survey of members of a raw milk producers and users group saw 10% approx of members respond. All were positive in their views. The pool was provided specifically by the users group representatives.
In an alternate summary Dairy Health Safety Vic noted more than 100 cases Australia wide in one 5 year period.
At the very minimum the sale of raw milk as a food product is not unconditionally safe. Itâs up to those who seek itâs more regular sale for human consumption to provide a system of production and sale that our governments will accept.
One representation from that side of the discussion,
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=cb5eafa6-6541-4101-b7b4-efb4a2cbc3d8&subId=401149
P.S.
I neither purchase raw milk today nor seek itâs increased availability for consumption. Great health and food safety outcomes are two benefits of living in Australia, as I see it.
This possibly only reduces the risk and not eliminate it. It also wouldnât have the same public health benefit as pasteurisation.
When samples are tested they would be detecting colony forming units (cfu) per unit volume in the milk. The testing would be to assess that they are below acceptable levels. Poor handling and/storage of milk can result in cfu increasing to levels which pose health risks to the consumer. This principle applies to foods which have use-by-datesâŠwhere over time cfu in the food increases to levels which pose risks, and thus the food should not be eaten.
Cats love raw milk so much they sing about it.
It depends on the standard, does it not?
And is the circumstance any different to how we manage raw chicken meat, fresh seafood products, farm fresh eggs, manufactured sausage meats, to suggest a few?
Iâm not putting an argument that says raw milk products are any better than processed milk. Some of the proponents claims are extremely tenuous IMHO. Some may be no more than âpufferyâ in a marketing sense. That puts raw milk along side all those multivitamin and natural remedy products. We allow those to be sold with varying degrees of regulation.
Whether raw cows milk supports our immune systems any better than processed milk and other commercial products in that respect is irrelevant. Some of those who think so use the supposition to justify consumption.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand Published this report some time back. It assesses consumer attitudes to the consumption of raw milk.
The executive summary considers the reasons consumers choose raw milk products, the sources of supply and Consumer product knowledge. At 6+ pages it is a little long to summarise and retain context.
Also to note it is the sale of raw milk for consumption that is generally prohibited or restricted. Health authorities advise against itâs consumption. Thatâs not a restriction on consuming product from your own livestock.
It does and if the standard was no CFUs in raw milk, no producer would be able to achieve this standard. Anything above zero could pose a risk.
Pasteurisation kills off any living bacteria (and fungi but not its spores) and makes milk products significantly safer than any raw milk of any standard.
