AAP Updates Guidance on Severe Risks from Raw Dairy
The American Academy of Pediatrics published updated guidance on October 5 concerning the consumption of unpasteurised, or raw, milk and milk products. The policy statement appears in the November 2026 issue of Pediatrics and was due to be presented at the AAP’s 2026 National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego.
The statement renews the organisation’s recommendation that raw milk, raw cheese and other unpasteurised dairy products should not be sold or distributed. It says these products can transmit pathogens including Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Brucella. Resulting infections can cause hospitalisation, severe illness, miscarriage and death, with particular risks for young children, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems.
The updated document also addresses H5N1, or highly pathogenic avian influenza, as an emerging hazard linked to raw milk. Research cited by the AAP indicates that the virus can pass from infected dairy cattle into milk, where it may occur at high concentrations and remain detectable in refrigerated raw milk for as long as five weeks. During a 2024 outbreak among US dairy herds, infectious H5N1 was found in nearly one-quarter of raw-milk samples collected in affected areas. No human infections from drinking raw milk have been confirmed to date.
The AAP says illnesses associated with raw dairy consumption are disproportionately reported among younger people. Almost half occur in people under 20, and a substantial share of those cases involve children younger than five. Pasteurisation, which heats and then cools milk to destroy harmful bacteria and other pathogens, has been used for more than a century and substantially lowers these risks without removing the nutrients provided by dairy products.
Pregnancy carries additional concern because the incidence of listeriosis is estimated to be 12 to 14 times higher than in the general population. Listeria infection during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or serious illness in a newborn. Despite the documented hazards, the sale and distribution of raw-milk products remain legal in at least 27 US states.
“Parents may choose raw milk because they have heard it is healthier or more natural, but the scientific evidence tells a different story,” said Mark R. Corkins, a co-author of the statement. “Pasteurized dairy products provide the same essential nutrients without exposing children and families to preventable infections from dangerous bacteria and viruses. For infants, children and pregnant people, pasteurized dairy products are clearly the safest choice.”
The policy was prepared by the AAP committees on infectious diseases and nutrition. It updates guidance issued in 2014 and reaffirmed in 2025. Adam J. Ratner, the statement’s lead author, was scheduled to discuss it during a session at the San Diego Convention Center on October 5.
