logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
46m 11s

What is up with RAW milk?

Melissa and Jam, Bleav
About this episode

#193

In this episode of Chemistry for Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry of milk, focusing on the differences between raw and pasteurized milk. They discuss the processes of pasteurization and homogenization, how they affect the nutritional content of milk, and answer listener questions about raw milk's spoilage, nutritional values, and bacteria. The episode also highlights important safety considerations associated with consuming raw milk and addresses common misconceptions. The hosts also shout out their Patreon supporters and encourage others to join their community.

00:00 Introduction to Milk and Pasteurization
00:53 Listener Questions and Raw Milk Discussion
01:53 Shoutout to Patreon Member Scott B
02:38 Deep Dive into Pasteurization
05:29 Chemistry Lesson: Proteins and Pasteurization
22:27 Heating Milk at Home
23:30 Raw Milk: Myths and Facts
25:02 Pasteurization and Nutritional Content
29:22 Risks of Drinking Raw Milk
32:21 Homogenization Explained
38:18 Milk Hot Takes and Fun Facts
43:14 Conclusion and Community Shoutouts

References from this episode:
  1. https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/as/as-612-w.pdf
  2. https://winnebago.extension.wisc.edu/2020/12/08/the-dangers-of-raw-milk/
  3. https://realrawmilkfacts.com/raw-milk-news/sdsu-extension-raw-milk-and-home-pasteurization
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/pasteurization
  5. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.library.unt.edu/22054181/
  6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22128449?via%3Dihub
  7. https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/7945sci2.html
  8. https://youtu.be/LFKVKshX5tQ
  9. https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/updates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai

We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

 

Thanks to our monthly supporters

  • Scott B
  • Jessie Reder
  • Ciara Linville
  • J0HNTR0Y
  • Jeannette Napoleon
  • Cullyn R
  • Erica Bee
  • Elizabeth P
  • Sarah Moar
  • Rachel Reina
  • Letila
  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
  • Suzanne Phillips
  • Venus Rebholz
  • Lyn Stubblefield
  • Jacob Taber
  • Brian Kimball
  • Emerson Woodhall
  • Kristina Gotfredsen
  • Timothy Parker
  • Steven Boyles
  • Chris Skupien
  • Chelsea B
  • Bri McAllister
  • Avishai Barnoy
  • Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Up next
Jul 3
What gives curly hair its curl?
#027 Rebroadcast Originally Published January 23, 2020 This week, Melissa and Jam dive into the chemistry of something that may not seem like chemistry at first: hair. Curly hair to be specific. What makes hair curl? Also what is hair in the first place? Why can hair be so radica ... Show More
28m 18s
Jun 26
Are organic vegetables healthier for you?
Melissa and Jam dive into the definition and implications of organic foods. They explore what organic means according to USDA standards, dissect common misconceptions about pesticide use, and discuss whether organic produce is actually healthier. This detailed analysis includes M ... Show More
57m 52s
Jun 19
Ask a Chemist: Explain it like I'm five?
This episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life' features Melissa and Jam tackling various chemistry questions sourced from the 'Explain Like I'm Five' subreddit. They aim to explain complex chemistry concepts in a manner even a 5-year-old could understand. Questions discussed include w ... Show More
30 m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 29
Ep 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1
Seriously, what’s the deal? Lately, it seems like raw milk has started to pop up more and more frequently in our feeds, with influencers touting the alleged health benefits of raw milk over pasteurized milk. In this and next week’s episode, we explore the raw milk phenomenon as i ... Show More
1h 9m
May 6
Ep 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2
Last week, we started this two-parter with a big picture view of pasteurization and the raw milk movement. In this episode, we address the alleged health claims made by proponents of raw milk and dive into the very real risks carried by its consumption. Is raw milk actually bette ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2025
The raw milk debate: What’s fact and what's fiction?
Raw milk is often praised for its potential health benefits, but how do those claims stack up against the risks? This episode breaks down the science behind unpasteurized dairy, exploring its possible links to allergy prevention, the dangers of foodborne illness, and the regulati ... Show More
13m 29s
Feb 2025
Raw milk: What are the risks and why are people talking about it?
Pasteurising milk makes it safer, but are there any benefits to drinking it “raw”? James heads to a dairy farm to investigate the evidence and see if anything is lost in pasteurising milk.Guests: Professor Marion Nestle, food policy expert, New York University Dr Ellen Evans, foo ... Show More
28m 1s
Jan 2025
Forever Fresh
We eat apples in the summer and enjoy bananas in the winter. When we do this, we go against the natural order of life which is towards death and decay. What gives? This week, Latif Nasser spoke with Nicola Twilley, the author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our ... Show More
28m 44s
Oct 2017
Immune 1: Some like it hot
Cindy, Steph, and Vincent launch a new podcast, Immune, and reveal how warm temperature protects against atherosclerosis by regulating monocyte migration into the blood. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Stephanie Langel, and Cynthia Leifer Become a patron of Immune! Links for this epis ... Show More
1h 5m
May 21
170: The Shocking Truth About Dairy: Why are we *really* drinking milk?
Hi friends, happy Wednesday! As a country, America has always had a complicated relationship with dairy. One month we hate it, the next month, some weird cottage cheese recipe goes viral, and we’re all over it again. But here's something I thought was a little strange. You never ... Show More
54m 39s
Sep 2021
#39:Infused vs Adulterated coffees, Cinnamon and Fermentation Failures
As many of you know, we've started doing live hang out after the episodes on Discord a week after the podcast comes out. I find this valuable because I get to hear from listeners and we create our own podcast after the podcast together.In the most recent gathering I had Feli ... Show More
57m 43s
Apr 22
Explosive Science with Kate the Chemist
What are chemical reactions like in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice team up with Kate the Chemist to explore how cesium helps us tell time, the elusive quest for the periodic table’s “island of stability,” how AI is revolutionizing chemistry, and more!NOTE: StarTalk+ Pa ... Show More
54m 29s
Feb 2025
TWiV 1189: Viruses making waves
TWiV notes the HHS communication pause, and describes research showing that rotavirus viroporin activity is necessary for intracellular calcium signals that contribute to viral pathogenesis, and control of human orthrflavivirus vaccine challenge by T cells in the absence of neutr ... Show More
1h 32m