Occasionally, I get the question “what if we just UV treated the raw milk…” This assumes that immune active proteins in raw milk will be preserved, while destroying all microbial and potentially pathogenic life. So why don’t we just support UV treated milk instead of access to completely unprocessed raw milk?
New processing technology misses the point. The point is that we want to maintain our ability to procure raw milk directly from the producer. This is a food system question and not a health or nutrition question. The raw milk movement’s primary threat is corporate gatekeeping and the anticompetitive policies that follow.
As far as technology is concerned, I think it’s interesting for the conventional and micro dairy space. If treating the milk with light instead of heat makes mass-market milk better, I’m all for it. Looks like we might seeing UV treated raw milk on grocery store shelves as soon as 2026.
There’s no statement on how much this process will cost, which would provide clues as to whether the plan is affordable on-the-farm UV treatment conducted by the farmer or simply the same system of trucking milk around to the light plant instead of the heat plant.
GVWire: Fresno Scientist Says He Can Treat Raw Milk, Keep Its Benefits. He Just Got FDA Acceptance
Yahoo Finance: A Safe Raw Milk Breakthrough: Tamarack Biotics Earns Fda Acceptance Of Innovative Treatment
