Florida mother claims bacteria in raw milk led to miscarriage
A mother is suing a Volusia County dairy farm, claiming bacteria in raw milk caused a miscarriage and made her infant seriously ill.
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Health officials in New Mexico are warning the public to avoid eating raw dairy products after a newborn died from listeria infection.
In a news release on Tuesday, Feb. 3, the New Mexico Department of Health said it believes the “most likely source of infection” was unpasteurized milk that the baby’s mother ingested during pregnancy. The state health department did not provide additional information on the matter.
Although researchers have not determined the exact cause of the infection, the state health department said, “This tragic death highlights the serious risks that raw dairy products pose to pregnant women, young children, older New Mexicans, and those with weakened immune systems.”
“Pregnant people should consume only pasteurized dairy products to prevent newborn illness and death,” Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health, said in a statement.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, consuming raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products can pose serious health risks, especially for people with weakened immune systems.
According to the FDA, most commercial dairy products in the United States contain pasteurized milk or cream. Pasteurization is a heat treatment process that heats milk to a temperature high enough to destroy harmful bacteria and pathogens, according to health officials.
“Consumers, especially high-risk consumers, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness,” New Mexico Department of Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte said in a statement.
Risks of consuming raw milk
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raw milk is unpasteurized milk and can cause food poisoning. The CDC said that while it is possible to reduce contamination, there is no guarantee that it will protect against harmful bacteria that may be present in raw milk.
Despite warnings from health experts, raw milk has surged in popularity across the United States in recent years. This upward trend has been driven by wellness influencers and raw milk advocates who believe that the pasteurization process destroys bioactive compounds (chemicals found in plants and certain foods that promote health).
Health experts previously told USA TODAY that nutritional changes that occur after pasteurization are “extremely small.” There’s a misconception that the bacteria in raw milk is good for your gut, but dietitian Jamie Nadeau says those ideas are “farfetched.”
The New Mexico Department of Health said raw milk can contain “numerous pathogens,” including Listeria monocytogenes. According to the CDC, Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can contaminate many foods and pose a serious risk to pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems.
The New Mexico Department of Health said Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births or even fatal infections in newborns, even if the mother has only mild symptoms from the infection. The state health department added that Listeria monocytogenes can also cause serious infections and even death in people with weakened immune systems.
Consuming products containing unpasteurized milk can expose you to other pathogens such as avian influenza, Brucella, tuberculosis, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli. Some of these illnesses are especially dangerous for children under 5 and adults over 65, according to the state health department.
“Pasteurized milk provides the same nutritional benefits without the risks of consuming raw milk,” the CDC said, adding that pasteurization has led to a reduction in milk-borne illnesses since the early 1900s.
Recent incidents regarding raw milk consumption
Health authorities across the country have repeatedly advised the public not to consume raw dairy products following outbreaks of bird flu and incidents that have sickened or killed people.
In 2024, the CDC, FDA, and Department of Agriculture urged the public to avoid consuming raw milk and dairy products after high concentrations of the H5N1 avian influenza virus were detected in unpasteurized milk.
In August 2025, Florida health officials warned of the dangers of consuming unpasteurized milk after 21 people in the northeast and central parts of the state became ill after drinking raw milk produced on the same farm. At the time, state health officials said the 21 patients included six children under the age of 10, with at least two suffering from “serious complications.”
That same month, a central Florida woman filed a lawsuit against a dairy farm and a grocery store for selling raw milk, alleging that the sale resulted in hospitalizations for her and her infant and the death of her unborn child.
Contributor: With Alyssa Goldberg St. Maartentoday’s America
