Milk Jug and Cows

Dairy UK says raw milk benefits are not proven

Dairy UK has clashed with raw milk advocates over the risk posed by unpasteurised milk.

The organisation told a recent FSA event on raw milk regulations all drinking milk should be pasteurised. Its nutrition and technical manager, Luisa Candido, said raw milk posed “a serious threat to human health” and “even though hygiene practices can reduce the risk, they cannot completely eliminate it”.

She also challenged perceptions that raw milk had special nutritional or health benefits: “It is important to note that at present, scientific evidence does not support these claims.”

Candido was strongly opposed by several raw milk advocates at the event, who accused Dairy UK of standing in the way of consumer choice.

Raw milk producer Steve Hook also stressed raw milk commanded a premium over pasteurised milk, giving the opportunity to add value. Raw milk was widely consumed by farming families around the UK, he added, yet “you don’t read about farmers dying in Farmers’ Weekly. They totally believe in their own milk.”

The FSA is running a consultation on raw milk, closing on 30 April.