Raw milk is milk that is unpasteurized. Federal legislation prohibits the sale of raw milk anywhere in Canada.
The statistics from the public health authorities and scientific literature show that the risk of illness linked to raw milk is significant and the benefits derived from milk pasteurization in reducing this risk have been recognized by the medical and scientific communities for a long time. You can find more information on Health Canada’s website.
Despite what you may have heard, pasteurized milk is a much healthier choice because you can enjoy all the nutritional benefits of milk without the concern of getting sick. Pasteurization does not alter the nutritional value of milk. Pasteurized milk has the additional health advantage of added vitamin D (raw milk contains virtually no vitamin D).