New Mexico health officials have issued a warning against consuming raw dairy products after a newborn baby died from a listeria infection believed to be linked to unpasteurised milk. The state's Department of Health stated that while the exact source could not be confirmed, raw milk was the 'most likely' cause.
Officials emphasised that the death highlights the risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, infants, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems. Dr Chad Smelser, the state's deputy epidemiologist, urged pregnant individuals to consume only pasteurised milk products to prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns.
The warning comes amid increased public awareness of raw milk, partly driven by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a long-time advocate of unpasteurised dairy. Kennedy has previously criticised federal restrictions on raw milk sales, describing them as a 'war on public health'.
Public health agencies maintain that raw milk carries significant risks. The FDA warns that unpasteurised dairy can contain dangerous pathogens such as Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, which can cause severe illness or death, particularly in vulnerable groups. New Mexico officials reiterated that pasteurisation remains the safest way to prevent life-threatening infections.
Between 1998 and 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded over 200 outbreaks linked to unpasteurised milk, sickening more than 2,600 people and hospitalising over 225. Before national pasteurisation standards were introduced in 1924, roughly a quarter of all foodborne illnesses in the U.S. were tied to dairy products; today, that figure is about 1 per cent.
