Raw Milk & Pasteurized Milk

This page contains links to content about both pasteurized and raw milk from across the Food section of FDA.gov. There are links for videos, news, consumer information, guidance documents, and other industry information.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. This raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are responsible for causing numerous foodborne illnesses.

Decades ago, pasteurization of milk was adopted as a basic public health measure to kill dangerous bacteria. This measure largely eliminated the risk of getting sick from one of the most important staples of the American diet.