AAP Policy Statement Endorses Only Pasteurized Dairy and Backs US Raw Milk Ban

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement endorsing consumption of only pasteurized milk and milk products for pregnant people, breastfeeding parents, infants, and children, including adolescents and young adults. The statement, from the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases and Committee on Nutrition, was published in Pediatrics.

According to the statement, sales of unpasteurized (raw) milk and milk products remain legal in at least 27 US states. The authors wrote that raw milk from cows, goats, and sheep remains a source of infection with pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella species, Brucella species, and Escherichia coli O157, and that purported health benefits of raw milk "have no evidence base."

Citing prior survey and surveillance data, the authors reported that 4.4% of US adults surveyed in 2016 and 2019 said they had consumed raw milk in the prior 12 months. From 2013 to 2018, raw milk consumption resulted in 75 outbreaks involving 675 illnesses, 98 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Nearly half of illnesses (48%) occurred in people younger than 20 years, and complications included hemolytic-uremic syndrome in 10 cases.

The statement noted that listeriosis incidence in pregnant people is 12 to 14 times that of the general population. The authors also described highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) as an emerging threat, although no human cases from raw milk consumption have been identified to date. They concluded that pasteurization does not significantly alter the nutritional value of milk.

Beyond clinical counseling, the AAP endorses a ban on the sale or distribution of unpasteurized milk and milk products throughout the United States, including certain fresh, soft, and soft-ripened cheeses made from unpasteurized milk. The statement noted that state laws on raw milk sales vary and frequently change.

Source: Ratner AJ, Sardi A, Corkins MR; Committee on Infectious Diseases; Committee on Nutrition. Consumption of unpasteurized (raw) milk and milk products by pregnant people and children: policy statement. Pediatrics. Published online October 5, 2026:e2026079036. doi:10.1542/peds.2026-079036