The History Of Milk Pasteurization: A Mandatory Law

Milk has been regulated in some form for over 100 years. Pasteurization is a sanitation process in which milk is heated to a high temperature for a short time to kill pathogens, and then rapidly cooled. The process was first used in 1862 and was adopted as a basic public health measure to kill dangerous bacteria. In 1987, the FDA prohibited the interstate sale of raw milk. However, the intrastate sale of raw milk is left to the states to decide.

Pasteurization was first used in the US in the 1890s

The process of pasteurization involves heating milk to a particular temperature for a set amount of time to remove microorganisms. It was first used in 1862 by French microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who found that heating milk just below boiling point killed most germs. Pasteurization was initially used to preserve wine, but the process was soon applied to milk.

In the US, the first commercial pasteurizing machines for milk were introduced in 1895. By 1917, pasteurization of all milk, except that from cows proven to be free of tuberculosis, was either required or officially encouraged in 46 of the country's 52 largest cities. The proportion of milk pasteurized in these cities ranged from 10% to 97%, with most well over 50%.

In 1909, Chicago became the first American city to enforce a compulsory milk pasteurization law, and in 1914, New York followed suit. By the 1920s, milk pasteurization had become "widespread" in the US, and in 1924, "Grade A Pasteurization" became recommended federal policy.

Today, pasteurization is widely accepted as a way to improve the safety of milk products and reduce the exposure to pathogens. It is considered one of the major breakthroughs in public health, dramatically reducing the risk of milk-borne diseases.

Milk has been regulated for over 100 years

In 1895, commercial pasteurizing machines for milk were introduced in the US. Pasteurization is a sanitation process in which milk is heated to a high temperature to kill pathogens, followed by rapid cooling. It was first used in the US in the 1890s to control the hazards of highly contagious bacterial diseases, including bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, that could be transmitted to humans through the drinking of raw milk. In 1891, one in every four infants in New York City died, many from drinking tainted milk. This dropped to about one in fourteen when pasteurization was introduced.

In 1924, "Grade A Pasteurization" became recommended federal policy, but interstate commerce of unpasteurized dairy products was only limited via federal legislation in 1987. In the 1920s, pasteurization became "widespread" and was considered "one of the major breakthroughs in public health". Pasteurization did produce a cleaner, safer product, but it did so without addressing the causes of the tainted milk. It took slick campaigning to convince the public, who initially resisted the idea of "cooked milk".

Today, the debate about raw milk continues. Raw milk advocates claim a variety of health benefits attributable to untreated dairy products; government officials and scientific researchers stress that there are substantial food safety risks associated with raw milk, and that claims of health benefits are unsupported by scientific evidence.

In 1987, the FDA prohibited interstate raw milk sales

The consumption of raw milk has been a topic of debate in the United States for several years. Raw milk enthusiasts claim that it has several health benefits, including improved taste, nutritional qualities, and health benefits over pasteurized milk. On the other hand, government officials and scientific researchers emphasize the health risks associated with raw milk, which can be contaminated with harmful bacteria such as Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli. These bacteria can cause serious illnesses, including foodborne illnesses, miscarriages, stillbirths, kidney failure, and even death.

In 1987, the FDA issued a regulation prohibiting the interstate sale of raw milk. This means that raw milk cannot be sold across state lines, and the FDA has the authority to enforce this regulation through inspections and other measures. The decision to prohibit interstate sales of raw milk was made to protect public health and safety by reducing the risk of dangerous bacteria in one of the most important staples of the American diet.

The FDA's regulation on raw milk sales is based on the agency's authority under the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, which allows the federal government to regulate interstate commerce. Additionally, the FDA has the responsibility to protect public health and safety by ensuring that food entering interstate commerce is not adulterated or misbranded. Raw milk that contains harmful bacteria would be considered adulterated, and bottles of raw milk transported across state lines without proper labels would be misbranded.

The FDA's prohibition on interstate raw milk sales has had a significant impact on the availability and consumption of raw milk in the United States. While some states allow the intrastate sale of raw milk, others prohibit it entirely. The FDA's regulation also led to increased public awareness of the health risks associated with raw milk consumption, with the agency educating consumers about the dangers, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

The FDA's stance on raw milk is supported by scientific evidence and is in line with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatricians. The agency's focus on protecting public health and maintaining the safety of the food supply is a crucial aspect of its role in regulating food products in the United States.

Pasteurization improves milk safety and shelf life

Pasteurization is a sanitation process that improves milk safety and shelf life by reducing the presence of pathogens. The process involves heating milk to a particular temperature for a set amount of time to remove microorganisms. While different processors may use different times and temperatures, pasteurization is commonly achieved by heating milk to 161 °F (71.7 °C) for 15 seconds.

The process was first used in the United States in the 1890s to control the hazards of highly contagious bacterial diseases, including bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, which could be transmitted to humans through the consumption of raw milk. Pasteurization became widespread in the 1920s and was considered a major breakthrough in public health.

Today, pasteurization is credited with dramatically reducing pathogens found in milk, improving its safety and shelf life. It is particularly important in preventing milkborne diseases, which made up approximately 25% of all food and water contamination disease outbreaks in 1938. By 2005, due to pasteurization, milkborne diseases made up less than 1% of such outbreaks.

In addition to improving safety, pasteurization can also increase the shelf life of milk. Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization, for example, can give milk a shelf life of up to a year.

While some consumers prefer raw milk, citing benefits such as superior taste, nutritional qualities, and health benefits, government officials and scientific researchers stress that the risks associated with raw milk consumption are considerably higher and that the claimed benefits are unsupported by scientific evidence. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), raw milk can contain a variety of disease-causing pathogens, and consuming it puts all consumers at risk, particularly the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.

Raw milk sales are illegal in some US states

In the United States, the sale of raw milk is a highly contested issue. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized. Pasteurization is a process of heating and cooling milk to kill dangerous bacteria and pathogens such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Listeria. While pasteurization is widely accepted to improve the safety of milk products, opponents of the process argue that raw milk has superior taste, nutritional qualities, and health benefits.

The sale of raw milk is regulated at the state level in the US. As of 2023, 20 states explicitly prohibit intrastate raw milk sales in some form, while 30 allow it. In some states, raw milk sales are only permitted on the farm, while other states allow retail sales with appropriate warning labels. For example, in Arizona, raw milk sales are legal in retail stores as long as the package carries a warning label, and the farmer has a producer-distributor license. In Iowa, raw milk sales are legal if the producer has a farm where not more than ten dairy animals are actively producing milk at any one time. In contrast, states like Maryland and Hawaii have made the sale of raw milk for human consumption illegal.

The debate around raw milk sales centres on issues of food safety and the claimed health benefits of raw milk. Proponents of raw milk argue that it has several health benefits, including being a miracle cure for illnesses such as asthma or gastrointestinal disorders. However, government officials and scientific researchers stress that these claims are not supported by scientific evidence and that there are substantial food safety risks associated with raw milk consumption. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300 people in the US fell ill from consuming raw milk or cheese made from raw milk in 2001. Since 1987, there have been 143 reported outbreaks of illness associated with the consumption of contaminated raw milk and raw milk products.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a strong stance against raw milk, stating that it strongly supports the application of effective measures, such as pasteurization, to protect food safety and maintain public confidence in important dietary staples like milk. The FDA has also offered financial assistance to state health departments to help reduce raw milk consumption.

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