Raw milk is still used by large number of farm families and
workers and by a growing segment of the general population
who believe that the milk is not only safe but also imparts
beneficial health effects that are destroyed by pasteurization. Milk and products derived
from milk can harbor a variety of microorganisms and can be
important sources of food borne pathogens. The presence of
food borne pathogens in milk may be due to direct contact
with contaminated sources in the dairy farm environment
and to excretion from the udder of an infected animal.