A New Zealand study could shed new light on the benefits of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Jeroen Douwes with the Centre for Food Safety at Massey University said there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and a small number of peer-reviewed studies suggesting raw milk provides protection against allergies and asthma. What’s missing is causal evidence.
“If we can identify something that provides the protection, then that would be a big deal,” he said.
Raw milk is sold legally in New Zealand.
The study will involve 450 families: 300 non-farming raw milk drinkers and 150 pasteurized milk drinkers.
The families will answer a questionnaire and undergo a battery of tests.
Most raw milk studies have in-volved farm families who are ex-posed to a wide range of organisms through their lifestyle. Douwes hopes studying an urban population will provide a better understanding of health benefits specific to raw milk.
