AAP Renews Call to Ban Raw Milk: What Parents Need to Know About Risks and H5N1

Background: Why pasteurization exists

For more than a century, pasteurization has been the standard way to make milk safe. Heating milk briefly kills or reduces harmful bacteria and viruses without meaningfully changing its nutritional value. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long endorsed only pasteurized dairy for children and pregnant people. In early October 2026 the AAP renewed that stance in a formal policy statement published in Pediatrics.

What the new AAP policy says

The policy, “Consumption of Unpasteurized (Raw) Milk and Milk Products by Pregnant People and Children,” reaffirms that raw milk and raw dairy (including some soft cheeses) raise the risk of serious infection. Pathogens that can be present include Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli O157, and Brucella. Pregnant people face roughly 12–14 times higher risk of listeriosis; infection can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, or severe newborn illness. Young children are also disproportionately affected in raw-milk outbreaks.

The AAP explicitly endorses a nationwide ban on the sale and distribution of raw milk and raw milk products. It notes that claims of superior health benefits (allergies, immunity, “natural” superiority) are not supported by evidence. Pasteurized dairy supplies the same nutrients without the infection risk.

A newer concern is highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). The virus has been detected in unpasteurized milk from infected herds. While the full human risk picture is still evolving, the AAP treats it as an additional reason to avoid raw dairy.

Competing viewpoints

Supporters of raw milk argue it is more “natural,” better tolerated by some people, and carries beneficial enzymes or bacteria. Sales are legal in at least 27 states, and interest has grown in recent years. Some advocates point to small observational claims or traditional use.

Public-health and pediatric groups counter with outbreak data: raw-milk-associated illnesses have risen alongside increased availability, and a large share of those illnesses occur in children. Laboratory and clinical evidence shows pasteurization does not destroy the key nutrients families want from milk. The AAP, CDC, FDA, and many state health departments align on this point.

What parents should watch next

This is educational information, not medical advice. Talk with your pediatrician or obstetrician about dairy choices for your family.

Sources: AAP policy statement in Pediatrics (October 2025/2026), HealthyChildren.org, Contemporary Pediatrics, CIDRAP, ProPublica coverage of the renewal.