Is Raw Milk Safe To Drink: If a cow or buffalo gets an infection, the virus can reach the milk. If this milk is not boiled properly, then these viruses can survive for many days in raw milk. A recent Stanford University study revealed that when raw milk is refrigerated, the flu virus can survive for up to 5 days. Studies have shown that the influenza virus survives longer in raw milk during the winter season, raising concerns about the risks of infection. The study is even more important at a time when the outbreak of bird flu in dairy cattle threatens a new health crisis worldwide.
Alexandria Boehm, a senior researcher at Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability and Engineering, said the study found that raw milk consumption may increase the risk of avian flu infection and that pasteurization of raw milk shows the importance of Pasteurization is the process in which harmful bacteria and viruses present in milk are destroyed by boiling. Without it, raw milk can cause diseases. People who like to drink raw milk need to be more careful.
Many people believe that raw milk contains more nutrients, enzymes and probiotics than pasteurized milk, which can be beneficial to the body. Raw milk is also claimed to boost immunity. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has clearly warned that consuming raw milk can increase the risk of more than 200 diseases. In this E. coli, salmonella and other harmful bacteria, which can cause serious illnesses, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
The study, published in the journal General Environmental Science and Technology Letters, found that H1N1 PR8, a type of human influenza virus, remained alive and infectious for up to five days in raw cow’s milk at refrigerated temperatures. This fact indicates that the influenza virus can remain active for a long time in raw milk and can also contaminate other surfaces and materials in dairy farms, allowing the virus to spread to animals and humans. In such a case, people must know about this research.
Mengyang Zhang, co-author of the study, said the findings clearly indicate that the flu virus, which remains active for several days in raw milk, poses a new health threat. The researchers also found that the genetic material (RNA) of the flu virus persisted in raw milk for up to 57 days. While pasteurization completely eliminates the virus from milk and reduces the amount of viral RNA by up to 90 percent, it is not completely eliminated. Experts believe that more monitoring of raw milk is necessary during outbreaks of diseases like bird flu.