Tip Sheet for Raw Milk

Pasteurized milk and fortified milk alternatives have essential nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, which are important for maintaining health of your bones. Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide recommends that Canadians drink 500 ml or 2 cups of milk everyday to make sure that you are getting the essential nutrients for good health. You should drink milk alternatives, such as fortified soy beverages, if you can't drink milk.

Pasteurization

According to the Food and Drug Regulations, milk must be pasteurized in order to be sold in Canada. Pasteurization is a process where heat is applied to kill organisms that may cause human disease while keeping the nutritional properties of milk intact.

Raw or unpasteurized milk may contain bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Bacteria, such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, have been found in raw or unpasteurized milk. These bacteria can cause foodborne illness and can lead to very serious conditions from fever, vomiting, and diarrhea to life-threatening kidney failure, miscarriage and death. Children, pregnant women, older adults and people with a weakened immune system should not drink unpasteurized milk because they can get sick more easily.

Raw Milk

Even though raw or unpasteurized milk is not allowed to be sold in Canada, people have become ill after drinking raw milk when visiting farms. While pasteurized milk is now the standard, there are some Canadians who continue to prefer raw milk because of perceived health benefits. However, any possible benefits are outweighed by the serious risk of illness from drinking raw milk. Pasteurization is an important process in order to make sure that the milk Canadians drink is safe. The number of foodborne illness outbreaks from milk has dramatically decreased since pasteurization of milk was made mandatory by Health Canada in 1991.

If you are at a farmer's market or visiting a farm where milk is being sold, you should ask the retailer if the product has been pasteurized before buying it. If you can't be sure that the product is pasteurized, it is best to avoid the product.

Raw Milk Cheese

Raw milk cheese is made from raw milk. While raw milk is not allowed to be sold in Canada, raw milk cheese is allowed for sale. This is because the way raw milk cheeses are manufactured and produced helps eliminate harmful bacteria that may be present in raw milk.

However, pregnant women, children, older adults and people with a weakened immune system should still avoid eating raw milk cheese, especially soft and semi-soft cheeses (e.g., Brie, Camembert and blue-veined cheeses). For these people, potential foodborne bacteria can cause serious health effects. Instead of raw milk cheese, you can try pasteurized milk cheeses. You can look at the labels of the cheese to make sure that it is a pasteurized product. If you are unsure if the product is made from pasteurized milk, you can ask the retailer for more information.

What the Government of Canada does to keep our food supply safe

The Government of Canada is committed to food safety.

Health Canada establishes regulations and standards relating to the safety and nutritional quality of foods sold in Canada. Through inspection and enforcement activities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency verifies that food sold in Canada meets Health Canada's requirements.

For more information on food safety, please visit the Government of Canada's  Food Safety Portal and the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education's  Be Food Safe Canada program.

Additional Resources:

In Your Kitchen: Safety Tips