The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued an updated policy statement warning that drinking raw milk can cause serious illness, kidney failure and even death, with infants, young children and pregnant women facing the greatest danger. The statement, reported by republika.co.id, is scheduled for publication in the November 2026 edition of the journal Pediatrics.
According to republika.co.id, the AAP updated its guidance to cover not only raw milk itself but also products made from it, including cheese and yogurt. The group pointed to a rise in outbreaks tied to unpasteurized dairy over the past two decades, and noted that children account for nearly half of all people who fall ill after consuming these products.
Why it matters
Raw milk has not gone through pasteurization, the heating process that kills disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites. Before pasteurization became widespread, republika.co.id reports, milk was a leading source of food poisoning and infant deaths. The AAP's renewed warning is aimed at reversing what it describes as a growing trend of outbreaks linked to raw dairy, a category that includes not just fluid milk but also soft cheeses and yogurt sold as unpasteurized.
The risk is not evenly distributed. According to the AAP, as cited by republika.co.id, babies, small children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are the groups most likely to develop severe complications from drinking raw milk.
The pathogens involved
Raw milk can carry a range of harmful microorganisms, republika.co.id reports. Among them are Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter, along with certain strains of Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli.
One particular concern is the link between certain E. coli infections and hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that occurs more often in young children. According to the AAP's statement, this condition can progress to kidney failure and can be fatal.
Pasteurization works by heating milk to a set temperature for a minimum period of time, which destroys the bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause illness. The process, republika.co.id notes, helps lower the risk of foodborne disease. The AAP's position is that this protection is especially important for the groups most vulnerable to infection.
A particular concern in pregnancy
The updated guidance also flags raw dairy as a specific risk during pregnancy. Infections associated with unpasteurized milk products, including listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby, according to republika.co.id.
That means the consequences of consuming raw milk or raw-milk products can extend beyond the person who drank or ate them.
The AAP's statement is not limited to fluid milk. Because cheese and yogurt made from unpasteurized milk carry the same pathogens, the group's warning applies across the range of raw dairy products. The policy update is set to appear in Pediatrics in November 2026, and it remains to be seen how the guidance will shape consumer habits and state-level rules on raw milk sales.
