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News
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is pushing for a full ban on raw milk products in the U.S., citing a surge in outbreaks and the emerging threat of H5N1 bird flu through unpasteurized dairy. The policy statement stresses that children are especially vulnerable, and that raw milk offers no nutritional advantages over pasteurized milk. Pediatricians are being urged to lobby local politicians and public health officials to support the ban.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — the largest professional group of pediatricians in the U.S. — has officially endorsed a ban on raw milk and raw milk products, urging its members to contact lawmakers and public health officials to push for stricter restrictions. The policy statement is grounded in a "multiplicity of data" linking unpasteurized dairy to life-threatening illnesses, and comes amid a wave of recent outbreaks, including a multistate E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk cheese and a campylobacteriosis outbreak in Idaho affecting at least 45 people.
A key new concern flagged in the statement is H5N1 avian influenza. Unpasteurized milk from infected cows can harbor live bird flu virus for up to five weeks when refrigerated — a risk that pasteurization effectively eliminates. The AAP also emphasized that raw milk carries no nutritional benefits over pasteurized milk, pushing back against widespread online misinformation.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: With misinformation fueling raw milk consumption and new infectious threats like H5N1 on the rise, the AAP's call to action highlights an urgent and growing public health risk — particularly for the youngest and most vulnerable patients.
