in the U.S. uses metal plates and hot water to heat milk to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds to kill pathogens. Low levels of harmless bacteria that can spoil the milk persist even after pasteurization, so rapid cooling is critical to prevent their growth. This is why it’s important to keep milk refrigerated.
Prior to heating, milk samples must test negative for drugs and stay below limits for total bacterial loads that would indicate the presence of pathogens.“Pasteurization doesn’t eliminate risk, but it does reduce it considerably,” says , a dairy microbiologist and director of the Milk Quality Improvement Program at Cornell University. “The data is very clear that those who consume raw milk are at a much higher risk of getting sick.”Common symptoms of the illnesses caused by these outbreaks include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache, abdominal pain, and body aches. Most healthy people will recover within two to five days, but some can develop chronic or life-threatening diseases, according to the U.S.
Anyone can get sick from drinking contaminated raw milk, but adults aged 65 and older, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant people, and children younger than 5Children’s immune systems aren’t fully developed, so they’re more vulnerable to smaller doses of bacteria that may not hurt adults. Meanwhile, raw milk or milk products