11-22 IAN Pasteurization

Raw milk vs. Pasteurized milk making headlines and the issue is one hot potato or some other metaphor meaning highly charged. Pasteurization is a process where milk has been exposed briefly to high temperatures in order to destroy microorganisms that can cause illness and it also prevents fermentation. However, I guess there are lots of people who want the right to drink raw milk meaning non-pasteurized. So what's to prevent that happening? The State of Idaho has legislation that puts strong limits on the sale of raw milk and interstate commerce in raw milk is prohibited by federal law.

Getting back to the issue of having a right to drink raw milk, the question is who wants to drink it and why. Apparently there are some people who believe that there are health benefits to drinking milk that has not gone through the pasteurization process. Peter Dill is the owner of Saint John's Organic Farm near Emmett, one of just two Grade A certified raw-milk dairies in Idaho: "The typical thing that brings people to raw milk is a health crisis. Almost all of our customers share this in common either they or someone in their family has had a health crisis." Apparently this issue has polarized a lot of people to a strong position on one side or the other.