How milk became the new culture war dividing America

Credit: NIAID

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For more than 130 years, Americans have been instructed that drinking milk that comes directly from a cow’s udder can be dangerous.

The US dairy industry spends millions of dollars each year heating its product to 70C before sale, to kill microorganisms that can make people ill.

But a growing number of consumers would rather they left it alone. No longer the preserve of farmers and hippies, “raw” milk is now on sale in corner shops and trendy health food stores across America.

Its proponents argue that it helps with weight loss, gut health and lactose intolerance. Gwyneth Paltrow, the actress and a longtime promoter of unorthodox health advice, takes it in her coffee every morning.