Pasteurization Saves Lives: Milk Myths vs. Science

Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson · Aug 28, 2025 · 12m

Milk: Life, Death, and the Paradox

Milk has always been central to survival. When mothers died in childbirth—and this happened often before modern medicine—infants survived only if they had access to another nursing mother or wet nurse. When that wasn’t possible, families sometimes turned to the milk of other mammals.

That discovery helped keep our species alive. However, milk’s role in human survival carried a hidden danger. While milk nourished infants, it also became a deadly carrier of disease.

When Raw Milk Killed Thousands

During the 1800s, raw milk was anything but safe. In New York…