Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized. Humans usually consumed raw milk before the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. Pasteurization was first used in the United States in the 1890s after the discovery of germ theory to control the hazards of highly contagious bacterial diseases including E. coli, bovine tuberculosis an-d brucellosis that was thought to be easily transmitted to humans through the drinking of raw milk.

Pasteurization is widely used to prevent infected milk from entering the food supply. The recognition of many potentially deadly pathogens, such as E. coli 0157 H7, Listeria, an-d Salmonella, an-d their presence in milk products has led to the continuation of pasteurization.

The debate over which is better - raw milk or pasteurized milk - is a hot topic right now. Those favoring the consumption of raw milk believe that raw milk an-d associated products are healthier an-d taste better. Those favoring the consumption of pasteurized milk consider the pathogen risk associated with drinking raw milk unacceptable.

Whichever side of this debate you take, the type of milk you drink is still a matter of personal choice.