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Comment by saagarjha | Hacker News Reader

Real question is why you would want to legalize this in the first place. On one hand, you might fall sick, on the other hand you get…what? Some good vibes that the milk is raw?

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It's nice if you're into home cheesemaking. E.g. with Mozzarella or Ricotta you have to heat milk up to pasteurization temperature during the process but if your milk comes pre-pasteurized then that's somewhat comparable to re-heating pre-cooked ingredients to make your dinner.

I think it's stupid, but some of my behaviors seem stupid to others: I worship an invisible deity. Some people get carbon pushed into their skin. Other people change their sex by modifying body parts.

We should be free to do (generally) whatever the heck we want to do.

You are free to consume raw milk. You are not free to sell it to others. This seems reasonable to me - same as most food safety regulations.

Can sell it soon in West Virginia.

https://getrawmilk.com/content/raw-milk-legalized-in-west-vi...

Looks like in 2016 it was only available through a herdshare thing. Not really sure what that is. I guess that's how the delegate in the original article got it.

Herd share is just shared ownership of a herd. Usually used as an end-around regulations on milk and meat production (as a co-owner of the livestock, you can consume whatever you want without regulation).

Raw milk is often touted for its health benefits, including higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that can be destroyed during pasteurization.

Raw milk supports better digestion due to the presence of natural enzymes like lactase, which can help lactose-intolerant individuals.

It also contains beneficial bacteria that can enhance gut health and boost the immune system.

Homogenization, a process where milk is forced through small openings under high pressure to break down fat molecules and create a uniform consistency, is another step in milk processing.

This process alters the structure of fat molecules, which some believe impacts the nutritional quality and digestibility of milk.

Raw milk avoids both pasteurization and homogenization, retaining its natural separation of cream and milk, and preserving its original nutritional profile. Pasteurization and homogenization reduces some nutritional content and alter the milk's natural state.

It’s the difference between cold pressed juices and the fake orange juice that has been heated millions of times and the manufacture re-adds vitamin C because the processs killed off its natural vitamin C

(Meta note: I vouched for this comment because it provides precisely the reply I was looking for, not as a endorsement of what it says or the person saying it)

You’re expecting rationality from an irrational actor or actors. Not an effective use of time.

Claims range from raw milk containing more protein, more antimicrobials, and reducing asthma. None of which stand up to review.[1]. Just another woo-woo anti-science fad.

Protein - casein isn't impacted by the amount of heat during pasteurization. Whey sees minimal loss, but not enough to really impact the nutrition.

Antimicrobials - impacted by refrigeration, regardless of pasteurization.

Asthma - no proof of causation, mild correlation in children.

1 - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/drinking-raw-milk#claim...

What you get is the edgy satisfaction of going contrary to the CDC, and the ability to performatively show your distrust of "the experts." It's become another wacky Conservative shibboleth[1], another Culture War symbol, at least in the USA.

> At the same time, conservatives discovered that raw milk fit neatly inside a worldview that was increasingly skeptical of credentialed expertise.

EDIT: I suggest downvoters at least try reading the link, and then come back to HN to vote. Raw Milk Politics is, surprisingly, highly partisan. It's all about thumbing one's nose at The Experts.

1: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/10/the-alt-ri...

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