It’s easy to assume that milk has always been a staple of our diet. In our culture which is largely influenced by the culture of the subcontinent, where milk is not just a drink, but a gift from gods. It is the first drink a child is given after mother’s milk. Most of us start the day with a hot cup of milky tea, our desserts and flatbreads are made with milk and its by-product desi ghee, and for just about any excuse from wedding ceremonies to the relief or even cure for the tiniest ailment or malfunction of our bodies, we drink milk.
A dairy portion or a glass of milk will make our bones strong and that milk has all the nutrients our bodies need is ingrained in our systems. But with lactose intolerance becoming more common, there is a growing debate on whether milk really is as good as we believe? And that leads to the argument about whether easily consumable tetra-pack milk is better than the milk that the doodhwallah brings or we get from the traditional Bismillah Milkshop that entails boiling.
The debate over raw milk versus tetra-pack milk has raged for years, with supporters on either side fighting for their favoured option.
Let’s get this straight. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurised, whereas tetra-packed milk, also known as pasteurised milk, has been heat-treated to destroy hazardous bacteria.
Quite simply, stuff is destroyed in ultra-heat- treated milk and then synthetic versions are added back. Packaged milk is not fresh milk, it is processed milk. There are numerous sides to this topic, comparing the nutritional content, safety, flavour, and shelf life of both types of milk to understand where and what can cause health issues.
How good is the goodness of milk?
One of the most compelling arguments in favour of raw milk is its alleged enhanced nutritious worth. Raw milk, according to proponents, contains more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes than pasteurised milk. While some heat-sensitive elements may be partially damaged during pasteurisation, the nutritional content difference between raw and pasteurised milk is sometimes overestimated.
“There is no comparison between the two types,” says Shakir Umar, head of the Dairy and Cattle Farmer Association. “Since the last 10-15 years, there has been a debate about which is better but the fact is that packaged milk is a western idea and Pakistanis love to adopt western ideas, fashion and lifestyle.”
Umar explains that packaged milk is also bought from farmers and processed which eventually kills many nutrients in it. “Generations have consumed raw milk extracted in the same environment but now suddenly the idea of nutrition in raw milk has changed and it has dented the market immensely,” he says.
Raw milk that does not go through the high-heat treatment may contain higher levels of specific enzymes and beneficial microbes. Proponents claim that these ingredients can help with digestion and support healthy gut microbiota such as a wide variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. Since the human body, on the other hand, develops its digestive enzymes, and the beneficial bacteria found in raw milk may be received from other nutritional sources such as yoghurt and fermented foods.
As pasteurised milk provides regular levels of nutrients, it is generally regarded safer due to the eradication of hazardous germs. It's worth mentioning that some milk is fortified with vitamin D and calcium to boost its nutritional value.
“The idea of treating milk is workable in a setting where there is difficulty in providing fresh milk door to door and hygiene is an issue,” explains Umar, a proponent of fresh milk. “But in a country like ours the system of delivering fresh milk door to door within 12 hours of extraction which decreases the chances of bacterial growth, is already in place.”
How safe is raw vs pasteurised milk?
One of the most important considerations in the raw milk versus pasteurised milk argument is safety in terms of hygiene. Raw milk has a higher risk of bacterial contamination that cause E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria and other serious and fatal infections.
“No matter how much you boil the raw milk it can only make a difference of 10-20 percent from the original form,” says a nutritionist at a government facility. “While packaged milk goes through certain procedures that makes it safe to drink.”
Pasteurisation is an effective means for destroying hazardous bacteria and pathogens, making tetra-packaged milk a safer alternative, particularly for vulnerable groups like as children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems.
Raw milk is mostly considered unsafe by health officials because it could contain deadly germs. Several places have laws and regulations that limit or prohibit the sale of raw milk.
“Raw milk is workable in developed countries where they have safety and cleanliness intact and they follow rules or have a proper system to extract the milk from the animal and all equipment used for extraction, transferring and storage is sterilised,” adds the nutritionist. “But in a Third World country such as ours the situation on the ground is questionable.”
On the shelf
When comparing raw and packaged milk, another element to consider is shelf life. Compared to raw milk, pasteurised milk has a longer shelf life because the processing of milk which includes boiling milk to destroy germs, prolongs the product's freshness and safety. “The milk that is extracted and provided door to door is done within 12 hours,” says Umar. “Which is the entire process from extracting to delivering at the doorstep. Most of the shopkeepers while selling the milk inform that the customer should boil the milk as soon as they reach home. Some milk shops have chiller plants where they maintain the temperature of the milk which resists bacterial growth.”
Raw milk spoils quickly, necessitating refrigeration and consumption within a shorter time frame. This short shelf life may be an issue for people who prefer to buy larger quantities of milk or use it less frequently. “When fresh milk is shifted from the point of extraction, it takes time but a better handling mechanism can avoid any safety issues,” says Umar.
The flavour and texture of milk is highly subjective, and personal choice plays a key role here. Some people enjoy the flavour of raw milk because it is creamier and richer. They feel that pasteurisation changes the flavour and mouthfeel of milk, hence affecting its quality.
Others, on the other hand, may not detect a noticeable change in the flavour of raw and pasteurised milk, and may even prefer the consistent, clean taste of pasteurised milk. Finally, taste and texture preferences are a matter of personal preference.
“Consumers who only had raw milk since their childhood find it difficult to shift to tetra pack and find it stale and not fresh,” says Manthar Hussain who owns a farm near M-9 highway.
Regulations and law
The sale of raw milk is subject to rigorous regulations and outright prohibition in some locations, due to safety concerns. These restrictions vary greatly, with some places allowing the selling of raw milk under certain conditions while others prohibiting it. Tetra packaged milk, on the other hand, is widely available and produced in line with recognised safety regulations.
Ingesting raw milk in countries where it is illegal may result in legal ramifications. “There are rules and regulations on paper but no one has ever visited our facility to check the cleanliness or safety hazards or to even check what we feed our animals,” says Hussain, who owns 25 buffaloes and sells milk.
Hussain explains that he has a few workers specified for milk extraction and they make sure the animals are cleaned daily and all the containers used in storing milk are cleaned properly each time the milk is taken. “We extract milk twice a day and make sure that the environment is clean,” he says. “But when we supply milk to the middleman who supplies it to the retailers and shopkeepers, the check and balance chain may suffer.”
He further explained that the milk has to be shifted to chiller plants within two hours of the extraction so that the bacterial growth is hindered as the main issue after hygiene is maintaining the temperature of milk.
The cold war between the farmers and tetra-pack companies is nothing new and each side often drags the other to the court for accusations of damaging each other’s market. “We filed a petition on how the TV advertisements targeted raw milk with the narrative that tetra pack is better than raw milk which is not good to for human consumption,” shares Umar. “We won the case and the court banned those advertisements but the damage was already done.”
Umar also shared that a proper system is being set up where the farms will have chiller plants to maintain the temperature which will decrease the possibility of bacteria and from there milk will be pasteurised, packed, and supplied in the market. “The cost of raw milk will increase obviously but it will be lesser than what people are buying in tetra pack,” he says, adding that the plan is in line with the Sindh and Punjab Food Authority and a few farms in Bhains Colony, Karachi, already have machines installed for packing milk and supplying through a proper chain to consumers.”
Talking about the cost of chiller plants that are to be installed in every farm, he said that the initial plan is to have 17-18 litres capacity chiller plants that cost 350,000-400,000 rupees. The Board of Investment and other organisations are helping us to provide chillers at the lowest possible rates.
Growth hormone concerns
In the dairy industry, hormone injections like Bovine Somatotropin (BST) or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) are used to increase milk supply. Hameed Kalhoro, a dairy farm owner, shared insights into their usage. He mentioned that these synthetic hormones, akin to what cows naturally produce, cost around 200 to 500 rupees per injection. They're administered via syringe twice daily, 15 minutes before milking, to boost production.
Kalhoro noted that despite widespread adherence to these practices in Pakistan, they don't significantly impact all cattle. Among their 40 buffaloes, only 15-20 require injections; the rest produce sufficient milk on their own. Even the injected ones yield just 4-5 kilograms more per milking session.
However, there are concerns about the long-term effects of these injections. Gambhir emphasized that these artificial hormonal changes could lead to various diseases in the animals and affect consumers using their milk daily. This debate over the use of hormone injections in dairy production revolves around increased output versus potential health risks for both cows and humans.
Many countries have enacted laws regulating hormone use in cattle due to ethical and health apprehensions. Some have even prohibited or severely limited specific hormones in dairy production. To ensure healthier options, consumers can seek out milk labeled as "hormone-free" or explicitly stating no injections were used in the milk's production, as suggested by the provincial manager.
How healthy is raw milk?
Raw milk supporters frequently claim potential health benefits as a reason to choose it over pasteurised milk. Some of the health claims for raw milk include improved digestion, higher nutritional absorption, and a lower chance of allergies and lactose intolerance.
It is crucial to emphasise, however, that scientific research on these claims is limited, and data supporting these health advantages is inconclusive. Furthermore, the health benefits of raw milk must be balanced against the well-known hazards of bacterial contamination. “In Pakistan, unfortunately, the advantages of having raw milk are less than consuming tetra pack because it’s not just the temperature or cleanliness, it is about the raw form that causes health issues,” says the nutritionist. He explains that with pasteurised milk at least there is a regulatory body that can be questioned and standards can be examined about the quality if it is not up to the mark, but with raw milk we have seen cases where the milk has to be filtered from flies and mosquitoes in them as the standards are not complied to at the majority of farms.
Who is more vulnerable to raw milk issues?
When opting between raw and processed milk, it is critical to consider the needs of vulnerable groups. Foodborne infections are more common in young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems so consuming raw milk can pose serious health concerns to these people. For the sake of their safety, health experts and regulatory organisations highly advise vulnerable groups to consume packaged milk.
“Doctors may commonly ask the patients with kidney and other abdominal issues to avoid milk and sometimes suggest taking other supplements which is a clear indication how raw milk can cause health hazards, such as dust, and fat being the main causes of having stones in kidneys because everything you drink goes through the kidneys at the same time,” says the nutritionist.
Why do we need it?
The battle of raw milk versus tetra-pack milk is complex, and covers the nutritional content, safety, taste, and shelf life. While proponents of raw milk argue for its possible nutritional benefits and greater flavour, it is critical to understand the safety hazards connected with ingesting unpasteurised milk, as well as the legal limits in many places.
“The understanding of the matter is similar to how we use bottled water in cities and even in villages,” says Hafeezullah Gambhir, provincial manager for Nutrition International, formerly the Micronutrient Initiative, an international not for profit agency based in Canada that works to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies in developing countries. “Likewise, we are being brainwashed that raw milk is not healthy and only packed milk are good for consumption, but it isn’t completely true.”
Gambhir pointed out that companies that are running business worth billions of rupees do have an impact on the market if we try to understand how milk that has less shelf life can stay fresh for months. The reason is that chemicals used to sterilise the milk and make it consumable claiming the bacteria are killed and it is healthy, has its own health concerns.
Since tetra-pack milk offers a safer and more uniform product with a longer shelf life due to sterilization, it is widely available and meets established safety criteria, making it the preferred choice for many customers, particularly those in vulnerable groups.
“In case of tetra-pack milk or powdered milk, both are substitute options and but not the main product because the main product is raw milk,” Gambhir explains.
Commenting on how the hygiene, transportation, handling, and temperature controls are not kept in check at the farms, he said that rules are present but hardly 20% of farms are following those. There are no visits by health and safety inspectors to check the quality and hygiene at farms and are larger facilities which mostly provide milk to big companies.
“Hygiene is vital at three levels — animal, workers, and extraction facility —all three sum up to how hygienic and safe raw milk is but unfortunately, the three-level hygiene is not maintained in our country,” he concludes, adding that boiling the milk does make difference, but not 100%.
Finally, the choice between raw and pasteurised milk is determined by personal preferences and risk tolerance. However, safety must be prioritised, especially for vulnerable groups. Consultation with healthcare specialists and knowledge of local rules can help people make informed decisions about their glass of milk.