Question 1

Why did fresh milk kill children in the 1800s?

Accepted Answer

Urban milk in the nineteenth century often came from filthy distillery dairies where diseased cows were fed alcohol waste. The milk carried tuberculosis, typhoid, and gut infections, and was frequently adulterated with chalk and water, making it deadly for infants who lacked refrigeration or pasteurization.

Question 2

Who invented pasteurization of milk?

Accepted Answer

Louis Pasteur discovered in the 1860s that gentle heating kills microbes in wine and beer, but he never applied it to milk. Reformers like Nathan Straus and scientists like Milton Rosenau adapted the process for milk in the following decades to fight infant mortality.

Question 3

Is raw milk actually dangerous today?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Raw, unpasteurized milk can still carry harmful bacteria and causes outbreaks of illness, especially in young children. Modern commercial pasteurized milk is among the safest foods available, with fewer than one illness reported per billion servings.

pasteurization

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The Poison in the Bottle