Milk
Raw Milk or Unpasteurized Milk
Raw milk or unpasteurized milk is illegal for sale in Canada because it can spread diseases such as salmonella, E.coli, Listeriosis and tuberculosis. All milk for sale in Canada is pasteurized. Pasteurization has very little impact on the nutritional value of milk and is essential to preserving its safety.
Studies have shown that pasteurization has no effect on calcium absorption and that vitamins A and D, riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3) are not affected by heat. Pasteurization does produce a slight loss in thiamine (B1) and vitamin B12, although pasteurized milk is still a source of these two nutrients. Pasteurized milk is also fortified with vitamin D, whereas raw milk contains only very small amounts of this vitamin, which is essential for calcium absorption, among other benefits.
Some people believe that raw milk is healthier and more digestible because it contains “active” enzymes that are deactivated by pasteurization. This is not true. While pasteurization does break down some enzymes, they are not the enzymes required for digestion.
