Paul Saladino, Making America Misinformed Again
Paul Saladino and RFK Jr. raised a glass in a high profile meet up at the White House, toasting raw milk - a product consistently shown in studies to cause an 840-fold increase in illness and a 45-fold higher hospitalization rate compared to pasteurized dairy.
…But before you raise a glass with them, data from public health research finds raw milk leads to an 840-fold higher risk of illness and much higher rates of hospitalization compared to pasteurized milk.
One thing he may want to consider: when well-known figures like himself promote raw milk, they may unintentionally mislead others about the risks.
Endorsements such as this bring up important questions about public health policy. Is it being guided by reliable evidence? Reliable sources?
Pause for a second before taking a sip: If the advocate of their own idea had to change their approach because of health setbacks, now think - should others be so quick to follow his recommendations?
Recent CDC and public health data show that nearly all dairy-related outbreaks trace back to a small group of raw milk drinkers—just a tiny percentage of the population, but they account for virtually all the problems. And we can’t just look at the total number of cases; according to CDC and Costard et al., to really understand the risk, we need to see these numbers as part of a weighted average. That means the risk to each individual raw milk consumer is massively higher compared to someone who only drinks pasteurized milk.
It’s almost impossible to believe, but the risks present a significant threat -they’re real, and they’re becoming better documented.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2025, March 19). Fact checked: The dangers of drinking raw milk. https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/fact-checked/fact-checked-the-dangers-of-drinking-raw-milk/
AuditBoard. (2025, May 4). Risk Assessment Matrix: Overview and Guide. https://auditboard.com/blog/what-is-a-risk-assessment-matrix
BuzzFeed. (2025, June 13). RFK Jr. Shoots Raw Milk With Saladino: Scientist Reacts. https://www.buzzfeed.com/sienaegiljum/rfk-raw-milk-paul-saladino-food-scientist-reacts
CBS News. (2024, May 14). Influencers promote raw milk despite FDA health warnings as bird flu spreads. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bird-flu-raw-milk-influencers-fda-warning/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, January 30). Raw Milk | Food Safety. https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/raw-milk.html
Costard, S., Espejo, L., Groenendaal, H., et al. (2017). Outbreak-related disease burden associated with consumption of unpasteurized cow’s milk and cheese, United States, 2009–2014. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(6), 957–964. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/6/16-1540_article
Food Safety News. (2017, May 17). CDC: Raw Milk, Cheese Cause Almost All Dairy Foodborne Illness. https://www.food-safety.com/articles/5295-cdc-raw-milk-cheese-cause-almost-all-dairy-foodborne-illness
Investopedia. (2024, October 7). Weighted Average: Definition and How It Is Calculated and Used. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/weightedaverage.asp
Men’s Health. (2024, January 2). The Wild Fight Over Processed Food and Raw Milk. https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a45997622/is-raw-milk-good-for-you/
Rolling Stone. (2025, May 27). Why Are Health Influencers Drinking Raw Milk at the White House? https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/raw-milk-honey-maha-report-white-house-influencers-1235349031/
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2024, May 29). Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk. https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/dangers-raw-milk-unpasteurized-milk-can-pose-serious-health-risk
Wikipedia. (2024, December 14). Paul Saladino. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Saladino
Navarro, V., et al. (2008, July 25). Understanding Evidence-Based Public Health Policy. PMC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724448/