Sue Gilbert Sue is a consulting nutritionist. For many years she worked with Earth's Best Organic Baby Food, integrating nutrition and product development. She has written numerous articles on children's health and nutrition for parenting publications. None the less, this small percentage of raw milk has gotten a lot of attention because of the seriousness of the illness it can and has caused.
Raw milk is a great vehicle for infection from a variety of bacteria.
Back in 1987 literally thousands of midwesterners became sick with salmonella after drinking improperly pasteurized milk, and that same year 62 Californians died from listerial bacteria in cheese made from unpasteurized milk. The most susceptible population to contaminated milk are infants and the elderly because the diarrhea and vomiting caused by the infection can lead to life threatening dehydration. Because of the potential risk of contamination, raw milk should not be given to infants, nor to anyone. Some states still legally sell raw milk and raw milk products, but this does not mean that they are safe. Many states have banned the sale of raw milk.