Mr Parker Bowles, whose books include Complete English, claimed unpasteurised milk had been the victim of “scary stories” and said its supporters “claim it can lower cholesterol, fight infection and offer incredible source of protein, as well as help with eczema, asthma and many allergies”.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people who swear by its beneficial properties, but the problem is that there’s no serious research on its empirical benefits,” he said, although claims about its nutritional content have been disputed by regulators.
He added that producers believe raw milk has been “defaced” by the pasteurization industry, which has painted it as a “dangerous food”.
“Prejudice against raw milk goes back many years, a mix of scare stories, misinformation and, once upon a time, some very valid fears,” he said.
Traces of the bacterium campylobacter
In 2016, 65 cases of food poisoning were linked to a raw milk vending machine at a farm in Cumbria after health officials found traces of the bacteria campylobacter.
Mr Parker Bowles added that he himself was ambivalent about the dairy product until he tried it from a vending machine at Selfridges in 2011.
It came as a “revelation”, he said, after drinking the product from farmer Stephen Hook.
At the time, the FSA said it would prosecute the department store for selling the milk, but the case was dropped two years later after Selfridges assured the watchdog it would not sell it again and Mr Hook agreed not to sell the milk outside business premises.
Calling to ‘give raw milk a chance’, Mr Parker Bowles said: ‘Not only are you supporting a dairy industry that is already on its knees, but you are giving those taste buds an experience they will never forget.
“The fact that it can have other benefits just makes raw milk taste even sweeter.”