Why Americans Choose Raw Milk: Evidence from a National Quantitative Survey

In a nationally representative survey of 1,078 US adults, 15% consumed raw milk in the last six months, with 5% exclusively and 10% alongside pasteurized milk.

• Why it matters: National estimates are outdated and miss emerging influences like trusted information sources, sociopolitical factors, and at-home risk mitigation behaviors relevant to foodborne pathogen exposure.
• What they did: The study used multivariable logistic regression on 1,075 eligible respondents to estimate prevalence and predictors of raw milk consumption and at-home thermal treatment, reporting adjusted odds ratios (aORs).
• The result: Raw milk consumption was linked to younger age (aOR 0.05 for ≥55 vs 18–24), higher odds with high-risk household members who consumed raw milk (aOR 4.39), and lower odds when perceived risk was higher (aOR 0.32); 38% of exclusive consumers and 47% of both-type consumers reported thermal treatment.