HOUSTON—As more and more consumers turn to organic foods for their health, one trend that seems to be growing is the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk.
Bob Stryk, a lifelong dairy farmer, began selling raw milk in response to a growing movement, and said he doesn't know how his business would survive without it.
"This is how we make our living," Stryk said.
In Texas, raw milk is not allowed to be sold in stores, meaning customers have to buy it directly from the farmer if they want it.
Customers like Dorothy Vecera began giving her son Matthew raw milk when he was a year old. She believes it’s far more nutritious than the milk found at the store and says it cured her son’s digestive problems.
"He didn’t have constipation problems anymore and hasn’t had a constipation problem since," Vecera said.
Critics argue, though, that raw milk is dangerous. The FDA and numerous other agencies have been adamant that milk is unsafe unless it’s pasteurized.
Sarah Smith, a neonatal dietitian with Memorial Hermann Hospital, says there’s good reason for concern, especially since Texas doesn’t have a state agency that tracks raw milk production.
"Pasteurization reduces bacteria that prevents things like typhoid fever, salmonella, and tuberculosis, so we definitely don’t recommend it for the immuno-compromised population," Smith said.
Despite the concern, raw milk consumers and dairy farmers are working on a bill with Texas legislators that would allow providers to sell the product at farmers markets and deliver directly to customers.
For people like the Styrks, a new law would be a way to satisfy customers’ growing thirst for raw milk.
