New Mexico Warns Against Raw Milk After Newborn Listeria Death

The New Mexico Department of Health has issued a public warning against consuming raw (unpasteurized) dairy products after a newborn in the state died from a Listeria infection that officials say most likely stemmed from the mother drinking raw milk while pregnant. In a Tuesday statement, deputy state epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser urged pregnant women to consume only pasteurized dairy, noting that Listeria is the third‑leading cause of U.S. foodborne‑illness deaths and is especially dangerous for fetuses, newborns, young children, seniors and people with weakened immune systems. State agriculture secretary Jeff Witte emphasized that New Mexico’s dairies rely on pasteurization to deliver safe products and encouraged high‑risk consumers to avoid raw milk, even as raw dairy has gained popularity amid HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again push that promotes full‑fat and less‑processed foods. The article situates the case in a broader pattern of raw‑milk outbreaks — including a 2023 E. coli and Campylobacter cluster tied to a Florida farm that sickened 21 people — and underscores that, despite a long‑standing FDA ban on interstate sales, state‑level legalization and online promotion have made unpasteurized milk far easier for U.S. consumers to obtain.