Unpasteurized foods are much more likely to contain harmful bacteria like Listeria that can cause foodborne illness

Raw Milk Is in the Spotlight, But It's Not the Only Unpasteurized Item That Could Be Dangerous Think twice before grabbing unpasteurized cheeses, kombucha, fruit juice, and other foods

Unpasteurized foods are much more likely to contain harmful bacteria like Listeria that can cause foodborne illness

Raw milk may be growing in popularity, but experts say it’s much more likely than pasteurized milk to contain harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.
Other dairy products, fruit juices, kombucha, nuts, honey, and beer can also harbor harmful bacteria when unpasteurized.
Pasteurization doesn’t significantly change a food’s nutrition, and experts say it’s still the best bet for food safety.

Got (raw) milk? Americans increasingly do. According to the Center for Science and the Public Interest (CSPI), a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, raw milk sales increased anywhere from 20% to 65% from 2023 to 2024, with no signs of slowing.

This uptick appears to be driven by a belief in raw milk’s superiority to pasteurized milk for taste and health. “Raw milk and unpasteurized products have become trendy with the rising popularity of the wellness industry,” food safety expert Nicole Keresztes-James, technical scheme lead for food production at the National Safety Foundation, told Health. “Some consumers believe that raw products retain more nutrients and have optimal appearance, flavor, and odor.”

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., recently tapped as the nominee to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Trump administration, is among the many raw milk fans. He famously stated that he drinks it himself and posted on X that, in his upcoming role, he will end the Food and Drug Administration’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk. (Raw milk is legal to produce and sell in many U.S. states, but it’s illegal to sell it across state lines.)

Still, public health experts maintain that consuming raw milk is dangerous. According to CSPI, in 1938, prior to mandatory pasteurization, milk‐borne diseases were responsible for 25% of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. That number changed to 1% by 2016.

“Foods made from unpasteurized milk are particularly likely to contain Listeria monocytogenes. This is a major health concern for pregnant women, aging, and immunocompromised individuals,” Mitzi Baum, MS, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness, told Health. Listeria poisoning can cause fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, seizures, diarrhea, and, in pregnant women, miscarriage or stillbirth.

While raw milk may be the unpasteurized product in the spotlight these days, milk isn’t the only product that can go through a pasteurization process—and it’s not the only item that can make you sick if it doesn’t.

Here’s a look at how pasteurization works and which foods are safer to consume when pasteurized.

Raw Milk Is Growing in Popularity—But Is it Safe to Drink?

What Does Pasteurization Do?

For many of us, pasteurization is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind process that’s easy to take for granted or even forget about. Yet it’s been making food safer since its invention in the 1860s, when French chemist Louis Pasteur discovered that harmful bacteria and enzymes lived in the liquids in foods.

“Pasteur made a groundbreaking discovery that heating liquids, like milk, to a certain temperature for a specific amount of time, would kill most of the harmful bacteria and enzymes, ultimately reducing illnesses, such as tuberculosis, and deaths connected to the consumption of raw milk,” Baum explained.

Nowadays, pasteurization in the U.S. is regulated by the FDA and can be either “slow” or “rapid,” depending on the temperature used and the amount of time it takes to kill potentially harmful microorganisms in food.

Which Foods Can Be Pasteurized?

Besides milk, other foods and beverages commonly undergo pasteurization for increased safety. According to Keresztes-James, these items include:

Eggs
Fruit juices
Honey
Sprouts
Shellfish
Apple cider vinegar
Beer
Kombucha
Canned goods
Flour
Nuts

Cheese can also undergo pasteurization. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, and ricotta often have a “pasteurized” label, as do deli cheeses like Swiss, cheddar, provolone, and Monterey Jack. Pasteurization status can vary for softer cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue cheese, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and queso fresco.

What Are the Risks of Eating Unpasteurized Foods and Drinks?

Though not all unpasteurized foods are considered dangerous, leaving certain food and drinks unpasteurized means a higher risk of bacteria and microorganisms that increase the risk of foodborne infection. Some of these include E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, Keresztes-James said. Each can cause serious illness.

“These risks are heightened for individuals who are immunocompromised, including pregnant women, young children, seniors, and individuals with chronic health conditions,” Keresztes-James said. “Severe cases of foodborne illness can lead to hospitalization or even death, as well as long-term health effects.”

Local farms or small-scale producers make many unpasteurized products. While buying from smaller producers may benefit your local economy, Keresztes-James said it can pose extra health risks. “This sometimes means that there are lower standards for supply chain assurance, contributing to a higher risk of foodborne illness spreading due to a lack of a more stringent food safety system.”

Which Unpasteurized Foods Should You Avoid?

“Foods generally considered safe without pasteurization include fruits, vegetables, hard cheeses, yogurt, and vinegar-based products,” Keresztes-James said. And according to Baum, eggs cooked thoroughly are safe to eat without being pasteurized.

But other unpasteurized items can be dangerous. “Soft cheeses from unpasteurized (raw) milk such as feta, brie, camembert, blue-veined, and queso fresco are considered ‘high risk’ by the FDA,” pointed out Tamika Sims, PhD, senior director of food technology at the International Food Information Council (IFIC).

If you’re considering buying soft cheese—or honey, fruit juice, beer, nuts, canned goods, or kombucha—from a farmer’s market or smaller retailer, consider inquiring about their pasteurization status and other safety practices. Or, when grocery shopping at a larger chain, look for a pasteurization label on these foods, especially if you’re pregnant or immunocompromised.

Is Raw or Pasteurized Milk Better For Your Health?

Do Unpasteurized Foods Have Nutritional Benefits?

With people being increasingly interested in unpasteurized foods, you might expect these items to have a nutritional edge over their pasteurized counterparts. However, that’s not necessarily the case, especially with dairy.

“There is no nutritional benefit to consuming unpasteurized dairy,” Milton Stokes, PhD, MPH, RD, FAND, senior director of food and nutrition at IFIC, told Health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that consumers choose pasteurized dairy products as the best way to obtain the essential nutrients in dairy, he noted.

Pasteurization may create slight nutritional variations in other foods. A 2023 study, for example, found that it might negatively affect factors in fruit juice like color, antioxidant activity, and vitamin C content, depending on the processing conditions, fruit variety, and type. Yet other research conducted on almonds revealed that pasteurization did not significantly change their antioxidant content.

All told, you’re unlikely to find major nutrient differences between pasteurized and unpasteurized foods. But you are more likely to get a safer product. “Pasteurization does not significantly impact nutritional value, and in actuality, makes food safer to eat or drink,” Keresztes-James said.

This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Sarah Garone