The American Academy of Pediatrics has renewed its call for a nationwide ban on the sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk and other raw dairy products, citing risks to children and pregnant people. The group’s updated policy statement was published earlier in the week of Oct. 5, 2026, and its news item announcing the position was dated Oct. 5.
The statement, titled Consumption of Unpasteurized (Raw) Milk and Milk Products by Pregnant People and Children, endorses pasteurized dairy for children and pregnant people. It is scheduled to appear in the November 2026 issue of the journal Pediatrics. Adam J. Ratner and Anne Sardi, both identified as AAP committee members, are listed as lead authors.
Pathogens and reported outbreaks
The policy identifies several pathogens that can be carried in unpasteurized dairy, including Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli. It highlights infants, young children, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems as groups of particular concern.
To describe the scale of past harm, the statement summarizes U.S. outbreak data covering 2013 through 2018. During that period, unpasteurized milk consumption was linked to 75 outbreaks, 675 illnesses, 98 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the policy. The figures apply to those six years and should not be read as current-year totals.
The AAP’s recommendation is broader than the existing federal restriction described in its policy. The statement says the Food and Drug Administration prohibited interstate shipment of unpasteurized milk for human consumption in 1987, while allowing an exception for certain aged cheeses. It also notes that rules governing sales vary by state.
Federal restriction and state rules
The policy cites a count of 27 states allowing raw milk sales, but dates that figure to 2019. It therefore does not establish how many states permit sales today. The AAP’s position calls for a nationwide prohibition on sales or distribution, rather than relying on a patchwork of state rules alongside the federal interstate-shipment restriction.
The AAP policy focuses on the health risks posed to children and pregnant people and recommends pasteurized dairy for those groups. Its call for a national ban extends to unpasteurized milk and milk products. The supplied material does not provide further details about how such a ban would be implemented or what legislative steps would be required.
The updated statement was reported by ProPublica on Oct. 8, 2026, three days after the AAP’s own news item. The policy document and the organization’s announcement establish the recommendation and its timing; the supplied material does not support broader claims about current consumption, comparative illness rates or more recent outbreaks.