Demographics Behind Raw Milk Consumers

DES MOINES, IowaThe raw milk movement has gained enough momentum that researchers at Michigan State University conducted a study of milk drinkers to determine why people make the choice to drink raw or pasteurized milk. The findings were published in the journal Food Protection News.

Questionnaires were mailed to raw milk producers, who distributed them to their cow- or goat-share members, and 35% were completed and returned by mail. The typical raw milk consumer in Michigan is a well-educated adult in his/her late 20s. Stated motivations for preferring unpasteurized milk included a desire to support local farms, taste preference, and a belief that raw milk is more healthful and digestible than processed milk.

The majority of respondents believed that drinking raw milk is beneficial for relieving allergies, intestinal diseases and digestive problems. Only 7.1% generally trusted recommendations made by state health officials regarding which foods are safe to eat. The researchers said further research is needed regarding the hypothesized health benefits of raw milk and the reasons that some people prefer to drink raw milk when pasteurized milk is more convenient and less expensive.

In February 2012, the raw milk made headlines after a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed the rate of outbreaks caused by raw milk and products made from it was 150 times greater than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk, and recent. 13-year review also revealed that the states where the sale of raw milk was legal had more than twice the rate of outbreaks as states where it was illegal.

In January 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that 38 people in four states have been sickened by raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria that was produced at The Family Cow farm in Chambersburg, Pa.