Files
Abstract
Scientific evidence clearly indicates that consumption of raw milk carries substantial
disease-inducing health risks. While federal U.S. policy mandates that milk moving in interstate
commerce be pasteurized; within 41 of 50 states, raw milk can be obtained for consumption.
Warning labels notwithstanding, a segment of U.S. consumers pays higher prices for higher-risk
raw milk than for either organic or conventional milk. The behavioral factors leading to raw
milk consumption are explored. The paternalistic regulatory options for reducing the risk
associated with drinking raw milk are identified. Implications for fresh produce sold directly
from farms to consumers or through farmers markets are drawn.