In the age of iron-clad science and information overflow, it is rare to find a food so divisively discussed as raw milk and its products. There seem to be two opposite stances that cannot possibly co-exist. On the one hand is the FDA. They definitively portray raw milk as a dangerous, disease ridden liquid whose only cure is to be heated until all potential contaminants are utterly eradicated. On the other are health gurus and small farmers who drink it every day and proclaim its many health benefits. Which is it? Well, while science still does not have a one size fits all answer to this, there is a lot we do know.
Raw Milk
To understand the pros and cons of raw milk cheese, it is first necessary to understand its origin, raw milk. Raw milk simply means animal milk that was never pasteurized, a process where the milk is heated to temperatures of at least 145°F for thirty minutes (Vat Pasteurization) or at least 161°F for fifteen seconds (High Temperature Short Time). The heat will kill or deactivate pathogenic bacteria that may be present, making the milk safe to drink. In the process though, beneficial bacteria and enzymes are killed and denatured as well.
This is a trade-off most are willing to make in a heartbeat. Sick or poorly treated animals can potentially produce milk that causes a host of health problems, including tuberculosis, brucellosis and diphtheria. The New York Times estimated that during the Swill Milk Scandal (1800s) nearly eight thousand infants died a year as a result of adulterated milk sold by urban dairies located across New York City. It was caused in part by horrifically treated cows kept in cramped, windowless sheds, and in part by the plaster and other additives producers put in the milk to hide its off-color. Salmonella, E. coli, Staph aureus and Listeria are a few examples of pathogenic bacteria that can populate milk from sick animals or milk that has been improperly handled.
To create a safer standard, and help prevent the spread of disease through milk, it became common practice, and later law, to pasteurize commercially sold milk. In the process though, some of milk’s innate benefits are removed. This is the crux of the raw milk debate. The FDA says it contains effectively no advantages over pasteurized milk. Others claim that it has a range of beneficial effects caused by the natural, lactic acid producing bacteria and enzymes present in the milk. Greater protein and fat content and rejuvenating gut health are among the many effects touted.
Despite the FDA’s stance, there is a great deal of evidence to at least some of these claims. Unpasteurized milk certainly has more helpful enzymes and bacteria that are killed off in the heating process, as an inevitable side-effect of destroying their more dangerous colleagues. Those bacteria and enzymes have the potential to help with gut health, at the very least because they take up space in the digestive tract that might otherwise be claimed by harmful bacteria.
It is understandable that the FDA would take such a severe stance. The dangers of poorly controlled and handled raw milk are legitimate. They left no room for personal judgment in a situation where a single mistake could lead to significant harm. It is however also worth noting that it is in the interest of large dairy corporations to suffocate raw milk sales, and it is they, not small farmers who have the ear of legislation. The Swill Milk Scandal took years to uncover and stop largely because the offending dairy corporations of the time had the ear -and pockets- of the authorities, who purposely ignored the massive violations until the outcry became so great they had to take action.
Practically, unless you are personally familiar with the farmer and their operation and know that they have healthy cows, clean equipment, and regularly test for bacteria, the risks outweigh the reward. Especially when the pasteurized version has much of the good, without the bad.
Raw Milk Cheese
Raw milk cheese is generally safer than its source depending on four main reasons. The acidity, salt, dryness, and age of the cheese. The greater the presence of these factors, the safer the cheese will be. For the sake of this discussion we will focus mostly on hard cheeses, as they typically have all four elements, and thus are much safer. Soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert have higher moisture levels, higher pH and lower salt content. Thus the risk of dangerous bacteria surviving the aging process is higher.
During the cheese making process, lactic acid producing bacteria are introduced to the milk, adding to the natural lactic acid bacteria already present. As the acidity develops, rennet is added to coagulate the milk. Once the milk is set the curd is cut into small pieces and stirred while being heated to drive out moisture from the curd. The higher the temperature the dryer the cheese will be, but go too high or too fast, and the cheese will be ruined. As the heat and acidity increases the whey is expelled from the curd, a critical step to getting a hardier, dryer cheese. The acid also develops the curd, improving flavor profile and texture. Adequate acidity will help prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
Letting the acid run wild will ruin the cheese though, destroying its body and texture, so salt is added, either through brining the cheese, rubbing the exterior, or mixing directly into the curd. This puts the brakes on further acid development. Salt also has an effect on the texture and flavor of the cheese, and acts as a preservative again inhibiting pathogenic bacterial growth.
When the proper acid levels are reached in the curd the whey is drained. Depending on the type of cheese being made the curds are either matted for further draining or put into forms for pressing into blocks or wheels. With the whey removed there will be very little lactose available for bacteria to consume. This step ensures that given time they will run out of food and ultimately perish. The dryer the cheese, the harder it is for bacteria to survive.
Lastly, the cheese is pressed and aged in a cool, dry room above 35°F. At this point, when properly made, these cheeses are 5.10-5.25 pH with moisture levels between 31-36% and 1.8- 2% salt. The cool temperature slows any remaining bacteria to a crawl, where time itself will consume them. Over time, whatever vestiges of lactose remain are consumed by the bacteria, and nothing edible is left for them to feed on. The FDA mandates raw milk cheese to be aged at least 60 days, but many hard cheeses such as Swiss, Italian and English styles are aged for considerably longer, promoting enzymatic breakdown which in turn affects flavor and texture.
The combination of all these steps makes it incredibly difficult for any unhealthy pathogens to survive. The possibility still exists, but if handled properly, there is no significant risk, particularly if the cheese maker has their cheese tested for potential problems.
Every food has the potential to cause illness, but under proper care and regulation, these concerns do not not stop us from enjoying a tasty snack or meal. The same is true of raw milk hard cheese. It occupies a unique position on the market today. Made mostly by small, artisan cheese makers and farmers, it has a level of supervision and personal care that is rare in our world today.