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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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A recent cheese recall and an investigation into a raw milk farm in California are revealing that foodborne illnesses associated with raw milk products are hurting some of America's youngest consumers.
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. Its consumption has seen a recent resurgence among some wellness groups, including U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has touted its supposed benefits. He previously criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its "aggressive suppression" of the product. However, medical professionals are more wary of the trend, and a recent recall from the FDA and an investigation into a California farm selling raw goat milk are showing that consuming unpasteurized milk has risks that can cause life-threatening impacts.
Newsweek reached out to the FDA by email on Wednesday for comment.
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Risks, Benefits to Raw Milk
As for the benefits, the Raw Milk Institute compared raw milk to breast milk, saying that raw milk contains "a wide variety of essential nutrients, fats, proteins, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals, all in a natural form which is most easily utilized by the body."
"In addition, raw milk facilitates production of lactase enzyme in the intestinal tract, allowing many people who are lactose intolerant to digest raw milk with no problems," the website said.
The Raw Milk Institute, a group calling for universal access to the raw milk market, claims that consuming raw milk leads to lower rates of asthma, allergies, eczema, fevers and respiratory infections. It also says that raw milk can help with gut health and antibiotic recovery. However, the FDA disputes these claims.
The FDA warns that raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.
"As a science-based, public health regulatory agency, FDA strongly supports the application of effective measures, such as pasteurization, to protect the safety of the food supply and maintain public confidence in such important, healthy staples of the diet as milk," the FDA said in a webpage about the risks of consuming raw milk.
FDA Cheese Recall as Foodborne Illness Hits Children
Raw milk again made headlines this week after a multistate E. coli outbreak was linked to Graziers raw milk cheeses sold by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company.
The impacted cheeses included medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack sold in 8-ounce and 16-ounce sizes, as well as in 5-pound loaves. According to the FDA's recent update, 13 people have gotten sick in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Michigan. Over half the illnesses were in children 5 years old and younger.
Eight of the people have been hospitalized, and three have developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a rare but serious complication that can lead to kidney failure and death. It is most common in children under 5 years old.
The cheese recall is not an isolated incident with the risks of consuming raw milk. On Tuesday, ProPublica reported that in 2025, two children became critically ill after they consumed raw milk from an unlicensed California farm. State regulators investigated the incident and delivered a cease-and-desist order to the farm.
However, despite the known risks, there have been hundreds of illnesses nationwide from consuming raw milk in the past two years, ProPublica reported.
Why Children Are Most At Risk
Children can be hit particularly hard by foodborne illness, including those acquired from consuming raw milk, because of several factors. Their immune systems are not fully developed yet, making them more susceptible to dangerous illnesses. When they do get sick, children can become dehydrated much quicker than adults because of their smaller size. They are more likely to suffer serious complications and require hospitalization than adults if exposed to foodborne illness such as E. coli.
What Happens Next
American consumers should monitor FDA recall notices and check their refrigerators for the impacted products, as the recall warned the cheese has a long shelf life. Additional illnesses linked to the current recall could still be identified, as it can take weeks to link a case to the outbreak. People are encouraged to follow the FDA's guidance on raw milk, which advises consumers to opt for pasteurized products.
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