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I Heard Raw Milk May Be the Healthier Choice

There is no evidence that raw milk has any health or nutritional benefits (1). In fact, the opposite is true. Pasteurized milk is a much healthier choice because you can enjoy all the nutritional benefits of milk without the risk of getting seriously or fatally ill. Pasteurization does not affect the nutritional value of milk (1,2,3). Pasteurized milk has the additional health advantage of added vitamin D (raw milk contains virtually no vitamin D) (4).


(1) Lucey JA. Raw milk consumption: Risks and benefits. Nutrition Today, 2015. 50(4):p.189-193.

(2) Claeys WL et al. Raw or heated cow milk consumption: Review of risks and benefits. Food Control, 2013. 31 (1): p. 251-262.

(3) Haddad GS and Loewenstein M. Effect of several heat treatments and frozen storage on thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid content of milk. J Dairy Sci, 1983. 66(8): p. 1601–6.

(4) Vitamins A and D are added to milk in accordance with Health Canada’s Food and Drug Act. Vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium and improves the overall vitamin D status of Canadians. Low fat milk has some of the fat soluble vitamin A removed when the fat is skimmed and therefore, vitamin A is added to low fat and skim milk to ensure a consistent level of vitamin A in all milk.

Check out Real Raw Milk Facts 

About BC Dairy

BC Dairy is a not-for-profit organization representing BC’s dairy farmers.