The White Lie: Hidden Truths of the Milk We Drink

The risks of untreated milk are often ignored as pathogens can be passed on through raw milk to sensitive groups such as children and pregnant women.

Raw milk or unpasteurized milk is certainly popular. However, boiling it thoroughly before consumption could help prevent food poisoning (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
BfR Consumer Monitor: not many people are concerned about raw milk

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How aware are people about the safety and health risks of raw milk? A representative survey by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) reveals that only around 10% people expressed their concern about raw milk, while two-thirds of people just heard about raw milk.

The data come from the BfR consumer monitor. Such responses show that raw milk as the least concerning topics among all risks surveyed.

Underestimated Risks vs. Low Public Concern for Raw Milk

“The health risks of raw milk are underestimated,” explains BfR President Professor Andreas Hensel.

“It can transmit pathogens. Particularly sensitive population groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and sick people should generally avoid unboiled raw milk.”

However, even healthy adults face an increased risk of mild to severe food poisoning when consuming unboiled raw milk, depending on the pathogen. Like approved food dyes and mercury in fish, raw milk was a topic covered by the BfR Consumer Monitor for the first time.

Chemicals and Pollutants as Top List of Perceived Everyday Health Risks

“In your opinion, what are the greatest health risks in everyday life, for example in relation to food, personal care products, clothing or toys?”

Public opinion is consistent on this open-ended question. The most frequently mentioned are usually undesirable substances (such as “chemicals” or “pollutants”, accounting for 41 percent of responses).

These are followed by plastics (17 percent), food additives (10 percent), certain nutrients such as fat, sugar or salt (10 percent), and unhealthy diet and lifestyles (10 percent).

Microplastics in Food are Public’s Leading Health Concern

“How concerned are you personally about the following consumer health issues?”

Among the predefined response options, the topic of “microplastics in food” leads the way (67 percent very concerned, 15 percent moderately concerned), followed by “antibiotic resistance” (63 percent and 15 percent, respectively) and “pesticide residues in food” (50 percent and 20 percent, respectively).

Here, too, the views of those surveyed remain largely unchanged.

Public Feels Less Informed on Over-Supplementation of Nutrients

In addition, for the first time, the current survey asked about overconsumption rather than insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.

The latest data shows that 26 percent feel well informed about excessive intake of vitamins and minerals, while in the previous survey 37 percent of respondents felt well informed about insufficient intake.

Reference:

1. BfR Consumer Monitor: not many people are concerned about raw milk – (https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/press-release/bfr-verbrauchermonitor-rohmilch-beunruhigt-eher-wenige/)

Source-Eurekalert

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