Is Raw Milk Dangerous?
The CDC says drinking or eating products made from raw milk can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella. The FDA describes raw milk as milk from cows, sheep, goats or any other animal that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful germs, and says it can carry dangerous germs that cause foodborne illness.
Federal rules cover interstate sales. Under 21 CFR 1240.61, no person may deliver into interstate commerce, or sell or distribute after interstate shipment, milk or milk products in final package form for direct human consumption unless the product has been pasteurized or is made from dairy ingredients that have all been pasteurized, except where alternative procedures are provided by regulation, such as the curing of certain cheese varieties.
Bird flu added a question. In June 2024 the CDC said there is concern that consuming unpasteurized milk and products made from it contaminated with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus could transmit the virus to people, while the risk of human infection is unknown at this time, and it recommends against consuming raw milk contaminated with live A(H5N1) virus as a way to develop antibodies. The FDA said in June 2024 that it considers raw milk a high-risk food, and that based on limited research it did not know at that time whether the virus can be transmitted to humans through raw milk from infected cows.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe CDC says drinking or eating products made from raw milk can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella. CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful germs, and can carry dangerous germs such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Campylobacter that cause foodborne illness. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingUnder 21 CFR 1240.61, milk and milk products in final package form for direct human consumption may not be shipped or sold in interstate commerce unless pasteurized or made from pasteurized dairy ingredients, with limited regulatory exceptions. US FDA, 21 CFR 1240.61 (eCFR) ↗
- Government sourceIn June 2024 the CDC said there is concern that consuming unpasteurized milk contaminated with H5N1 bird flu virus could transmit the virus to people, and that the risk of human infection is unknown at this time. CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe CDC recommends against consuming raw milk contaminated with live A(H5N1) virus as a way to develop antibodies, and says consuming raw milk could make you sick. CDC ↗
- Government sourceIn a June 2024 update the FDA said it considers raw milk a high-risk food, and that based on limited research it did not then know if H5N1 virus can be transmitted to humans through raw milk from infected cows. US FDA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.