According to the reports, raw milk gets a raw deal from health and agricultural officials, say proponents who contend its benefits outweigh the risk of drinking unpasteurized milk.

According to Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation in Washington and founder of "A Campaign for Real Milk," most investigations blaming raw milk for making people sick "are highly biased and never proved raw milk actually caused the illnesses." She says that other foods such as chicken and seafood pose a much greater danger.

Citing three deaths attributed to tainted pasteurized milk in Massachusetts in 2007 and six deaths from pasteurized cheese in Europe in 2009, she said in a recent telephone interview with United Press International, "Raw milk has never killed anyone and pasteurized milk definitely has killed people."

Fallon Morell, who estimates 1 million to 10 million people in the United States drink raw milk, ardently touts its health benefits, "especially for young children." Pasteurization, which uses heat to wipe out nearly all bacteria, also destroys enzymes such as lipase and other components raw milk proponents say are beneficial in a wide range of ways, including building a stronger stomach lining. Those who swear by raw milk say allergies, asthma, lactose intolerance, ear infections, gastro-intestinal problems and diabetes are just some of the afflictions it can help ease.

She further said, "It's just a terrible thing to raise a child on pasteurized milk. It's associated with so many health problems, including asthma. It's not a real food. It shouldn't be used by anybody. Raw milk helps build a healthy immune system. It kills pathogens. Pasteurized milk doesn't do that."

It was further reported that Fallon Morell only recommends drinking raw milk from cows that are pasture-fed, not from large-scale dairies where cows are confined and she says often live in "a filthy mess." (With Inputs from Agencies)