Regulation of the commercial distribution of packaged raw milk varies globally. Some countries have complete bans, but many do not restrict the purchase of raw milk directly from the farmer. Raw milk is sometimes distributed through a program in which the consumer owns a share in the dairy animal or the herd and, therefore, can be considered to be consuming milk from their own animal, which is legal. Raw milk is sometimes marketed for animal or pet consumption or for other uses such as
soap making in places where sales for human consumption are prohibited.
Africa Milk consumption in Africa varies across different cultures. Dairy consumption accounted for approximately 2.4 percent of total calories in Africa (below the 9.8 and 9.0 percent seen in North America and Europe) in 2015-2017, but has significant variations by region and culture. In tribes where milk consumption is popular, such as the
Maasai tribe in Tanzania, milk is typically consumed unpasteurized. In Kenya in 2018, only 15% of milk was processed, and the remaining 85% was consumed raw. Of this 85%, farmers and their families consume 40%. The Dairy Industry Regulations (2021) by the Kenya Dairy Board regulates the sale of raw milk. In Somalia,
camel milk is popular. It is traditionally consumed raw or fermented. South Africa permits the sale of raw milk and regulates it according to the "Milk and Dairy Products Regulations- GN R 1555." However, researchers posit there are gaps in implementation.
Asia In rural areas of Asia, where milk consumption is popular, milk is typically unpasteurized. In large Asian cities, raw milk is typical, especially from
water buffalo. In most Asian countries, laws prohibiting raw milk are nonexistent or rarely enforced. Milk labeled as "raw" () is available in Japan. Still, the designation means it is 100% raw, whole milk before being pasteurized. Unpasteurized milk is very uncommon in Japan. In Singapore, the sale of raw milk for human consumption is prohibited due to safety concerns outlined by the
Singapore Food Agency. In India, milk is often drunk raw, although milk supplied in major cities is sometimes pasteurized. Pasteurized or not, milk is often boiled in homes before consumption.
Europe , a famous
blue cheese, which is required by European Union law to be made from raw sheep's milk In the European Union, raw milk and products made with raw milk must be labeled to indicate this. Under EU hygiene rules,
member states can prohibit or restrict the placing on the market of raw milk intended for human consumption. Individual member states can also implement stricter requirements. Usually, special sanitary regulations and frequent quality tests (at least once per month) are mandatory.
Austria Raw milk may be sold in
Austria, but can only be delivered directly by the farmer to the final consumer or to retail companies and by those retail companies directly to the final consumer.
France Raw milk cheeses make up about 18 percent of France's total cheese production. They are considered far superior to cheeses made from pasteurized milk. Many French cuisine traditionalists consider pasteurized cheeses almost a sacrilege. Many traditional French cheeses have been made solely from raw milk for centuries. Unpasteurised cheese in France is the major source of staphylococcal food poisoning.
Germany In Germany, packaged raw milk may be sold in shops under the name . The raw milk has to be packed before vending, with the necessary information (producer, shelf life, and special warnings) written on the product. The distribution license has stringent quality restrictions; , just 80 farmers in Germany had a license. Unpackaged raw milk may only be sold under specific conditions. It must: • can only be sold at the farm where it was produced • be from the day of, or the previous day's production • have a warning label "Raw Milk – boil before use." • cannot be used in communal kitchens.
Ireland In the
Republic of Ireland, the sale and production of raw milk is legal and regulated by the
Department of Agriculture. While raw milk was previously banned in Irish law, since 2015, raw milk production has been regulated per the
European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations (2009). Farmers wishing to produce more than of raw milk for human consumption are required to register with the department's Milk Hygiene Division and consent to random sampling of their products as well as regular inspections of their production facilities. The sale and consumption of raw milk has been discouraged by various food safety experts, including the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
Nordic states Shops are not permitted to sell unpasteurised milk to consumers in
Norway,
Sweden and
Denmark. In
Finland, sale of packaged raw milk is permitted in shops. All four countries allow limited "barn door" sales subject to strict controls. , just one distributor in Denmark is licensed to supply restaurants with raw milk from approved farms. Pasteurisation of milk has been common practice in Denmark and Sweden since the mid-1880s.
Slovenia Raw milk has been available from refrigerated milk vending machines () all over the country since 2010. The milk sold in the machines is subject to stringent regular control. raw milk is also available in shops. The Slovenian National Institute of Public Health advises that consuming fresh milk from a milk machine that is not heat-treated (boiled) can pose a health risk.
Spain The sale of raw milk to consumers has been illegal in Spain since 1990. In the
autonomous community of
Catalonia, it has been legal to sell raw milk since 2018. There had been proposals under previous Spanish governments to legalize the sale nationwide. This was suspended indefinitely in 2018.
Turkey Raw milk is sold in Turkey, usually in local markets or by producers in villages. At these points of sale, raw milk is usually offered to the consumer in glass bottles or plastic containers. Businesses that produce raw milk in Turkey must undergo regular health checks, per government regulations.
United Kingdom About 150 producers of raw milk are listed with the
Food Standards Agency in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They sell raw, or "green top" milk directly to consumers either at the farm, at a
farmers' market, on the premises or through a delivery service, as it is legal to supply unpasteurized raw milk directly to consumers, however it is illegal for it to be sold in a supermarket or
high-street shops since 1985. The bottle must display the warning "this product has not been heat-treated and may contain organisms harmful to health", and the milk must adhere to higher hygiene standards than dairies producing only pasteurised milk. In
Scotland, since 1983, it has been an offence to place raw cow's milk or cream on the market for direct consumption following a spate of deaths, and the ban was later extended to milk from all other farm animals in 2006.
North America Canada The sale of raw milk directly to consumers has been prohibited in
Canada under the
Food and Drug Regulations since 1991. Provincial laws also forbid the sale and distribution of raw milk. For instance,
Ontario's Health Protection and Promotion Act, subsection 18(1) reads: "No person shall sell, offer for sale, deliver or distribute milk or cream that has not been pasteurized or sterilized in a plant that is licensed under the Milk Act or in a plant outside Ontario that meets the standards for plants licensed under the Milk Act." In January 2010,
Michael Schmidt was found not guilty on 19 charges relating to the sale of raw milk in the
Ontario Court of Justice. On appeal to the Ontario Court of Justice, that decision was overturned. Schmidt was convicted on 13 counts. He was fined $9,150 and sentenced to one year of probation. A subsequent appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal was dismissed. In
British Columbia, Alice Jongerden, Michael Schmidt and Gordon Watson—persons involved in the operation of her raw milk dairy—attempted to avoid enforcement of a judgement against them under the Public Health Act by challenging the constitutionality of the legislation, which deems raw milk to be a hazardous product, on the grounds that it violated the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This argument, and other defenses invoked by her and defendants in her business, was rejected in 2013 by the
Supreme Court of British Columbia, which instead found Schmidt and Watson guilty of
civil contempt, and sentenced them to a 3-month
suspended sentence imprisonment with a probationary period of 1 year during which "Any repetition of this contempt ... will trigger the imposed sentence imprisonment of 3 months." They were also charged special costs. Meanwhile, Canada permits the sale of raw milk
cheese aged over 60 days. In 2009, the province of
Quebec modified regulations to allow raw milk cheeses aged less than 60 days, provided stringent safeguards were met.
United States In the early 20th century, many states within the
United States allowed the sale of raw milk that was certified by a "medical milk commission", effectively allowing an alternative of extra inspection for pasteurization. Most states impose restrictions on raw milk suppliers due to safety concerns. 43 U.S. states allow the sale of raw milk.
Cow shares can be found, and raw milk purchased for animal consumption in many states where retail for human consumption is prohibited. The sale of raw milk cheese is permitted if the cheese has been aged for at least 60 days. In 1987, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of raw milk intended for human consumption across state borders. The FDA reported that, in 2002, consuming partially heated raw milk and raw milk products caused 200 Americans to fall ill. Most public health organizations, including the
CDC, hold to the need for pasteurization. Before pasteurization, many dairies, especially in cities, fed their cattle on low-quality feed, producing milk rife with dangerous bacteria. Pasteurizing it was the only way to make it safely drinkable. The Cornell University Food Science Department has compiled data indicating that pathogenic microorganisms are present in between 0.87% and 12.6% of raw milk samples. Proponents also invoke the benefits of direct marketing when promoting the sale of raw milk. The farmer's ability to eliminate intermediaries and sell directly to the consumer. This allows for greater profitability. Many manufacturers sell small-scale pasteurization equipment, allowing farmers to bypass the milk processors and sell pasteurized milk directly to consumers. Additionally, some small U.S. dairies are now adopting low-temperature vat pasteurization. Advocates of low-temperature vat pasteurization note that it produces a product similar to raw milk in composition. Food freedom advocates cite
libertarian arguments and claim a basic
civil right each person has to weigh the risks and benefits of
choosing the food one eats, including the choice to consume raw milk.. The American
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr who is serving in the
Donald Trump administration, is also a supporter of raw milk consumption.
Oceania Australia The sale of raw milk for drinking purposes is illegal in all states and territories in
Australia, since the 1940s, as is all raw milk cheese. This has been circumvented somewhat by selling raw milk as
bath milk. An exception to the cheese rule has been made for two French cheeses and twelve cheeses from the United Kingdom. There is some indication of share owning cows, allowing the "owners" to consume the raw milk, but also evidence that the government is trying to close this loophole. On 8 November 2015, four-year-old Apu Khangura died of
hemolytic–uremic syndrome, and seven other children became seriously ill following the consumption of raw milk. In response, the
Victorian government created new regulations that require producers to treat raw milk to reduce pathogens or to make the product unpalatable to taste, such as making it bitter.
New Zealand Raw milk for drinking and raw milk products can be produced and sold in
New Zealand, but are highly regulated to offset the pathogen risk. Producers of raw milk for sale to consumers must be registered. Raw milk must either be collected by the purchaser from the producer's farm or delivered to the purchaser's home.
South America In
Brazil, selling raw milk is banned since 1969. ==One Health considerations==