The row over milk

On the great raw milk versus pasteurized milk debate. Smack in the middle of the Lebanese campaign to eradicate brucellosis.

"Others believe that it is good for them. Pasteurization — a process of heating and quickly cooling milk to kill pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria — also destroys beneficial bacteria, proteins and enzymes, they say. Advocates attribute stronger immune and better digestive systems to raw milk. Many have incorporated it into their diet as part of a broader philosophy to treat their bodies and the planet properly.

“We drink raw milk because we trust the traditional food chain more than the industrial one,” said Ms. Planck

Food scientists can hardly believe that so many consumers have turned their back on one of the most successful public health endeavors of the 20th century. In 1938, for example, milk caused 25 percent of all outbreaks of food- and water-related sickness.

With the advent of universal pasteurization, that number fell to 1 percent by 1993, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group in Washington."

(Thanks Deborah)