Raw milk can carry harmful bacteria and bird flu. Many people don’t know the risks. Experts say pasteurization makes milk safer.

Scientists already discovered that raw milk can harbor the infectious H5N1 bird flu virus, but now there’s a new study on its capabilities that has health officials concerned.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) located H5N1 bird flu virus in samples of raw, or unpasteurized, milk in tests in four states in April 2024, and bird flu has been detected in commercially sold raw milk,