Chemistry For Your Life Ask a Chemist: Does raw milk have more bacteria? (and other questions)
Sep 26, 2024
Dive into intriguing questions about chemistry! Discover how pasteurization enhances milk safety and why gelatin gives Jell-O its wobbly texture. Learn the surprising differences between oxygen in water and air, and unravel the secrets of glitter's composition. Explore infrared spectroscopy's fascinating connection to the Northern Lights and find out how milling affects the oxidation of whole grain flour. Plus, insights into collagen and its role in muscle building add to the mix!
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Pasteurization Changed Risk Distribution
- Pasteurization dramatically reduced dairy illnesses by shifting most people from raw to pasteurized milk.
- Unpasteurized milk is consumed by ~3.2% but causes ~96% of dairy-related illnesses now.
Conversation With A Coworker Sparked The Milk Question
- Jam told Ryan he thought pasteurization mainly replaced raw milk with pasteurized milk rather than just raising raw-milk standards.
- Melissa agreed and added hygiene and environmental improvements also reduced contamination sources.
Prefer Pasteurized Milk For Safety
- Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk because it carries a much higher risk of foodborne illness compared with pasteurized milk.
- Choose pasteurized milk to reduce risk since pasteurization eliminates most dangerous bacteria.