Latte crudo: pro e contro. Un contributo al dibattito.

Raw milk consumption has increased in the last 5 years in Italy. Even if milk still represents a possible vehicle for the transmission of bacteria, only limited epidemiological data exist on raw milk consumption and Italian situation is reassuring. Moreover there is epidemiological evidence that a protective effect for some allergic conditions is associated with unpasteurized milk consumption. Novel approaches must be considered to determine what underlies this protective effect and to introduce faster, cheaper and more sensitive analytical methods in order to assess animal health and milk quality and reduce this risk of contamination.