The battle over unpasteurized milk products is heating up.

Advocates of fresh-from-the-farm unprocessed foods tout 'raw' milk as the ultimate health food, claiming it is rich in disease-fighting nutrients and healthy enzymes that are lost in pasteurization. But public health officials are unequivocal that the risks of fresh milk far outweigh any benefits, and that pasteurization -- heating milk at temperatures high enough to kill harmfulbacteria -- is the only way to ensure its safety.

奶制品的巴氏杀菌之战正在升温。

倡导食用新鲜出炉未经加工食品之人吹嘘"生奶"才是最健康的食品，称其富含能够防病的营养物质和对身体有益的，而巴氏杀菌过程将破坏这些对身体有益的物质。但公共卫生官员明确表示食用生奶的风险远大于益处，而巴氏杀菌法通过把奶加热到足够的温度以杀死有害的细菌，这是确保奶品安全的唯一途径。

Now amid new reports of illnesses linked to raw milk the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are stepping up efforts to warn consumers of the dangers, and urging states to strengthen their regulations to minimize the hazards of raw milk. The FDA is also reviewing its policy covering hard cheeses made from raw milk, which are currently approved for sale if aged 60 days. A federal microbiology advisory committee has raised questions about whether that is sufficient to kill pathogens, as long believed.

随着与生奶有关病例的新报道不断出现，美国疾病控制与预防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)和食品和药物管理局(Food and Drug Administration)正加大对消费者的警告力度，并敦促各州加强监管以把生奶的危害降至最低。食品和药物管理局还在对相关政策进行审查。目前的政策允许出售时间用生奶制成的成熟时间超过60天的硬质乳酪。人们长期认为这足以杀死病原体，但一个联邦微生物学顾问委员会对此表示质疑。

Between 1998 and 2008, there were 85 outbreaks of human infections resulting from consumption of raw milk reported to CDC, including a total of 1,614 reported illnesses, 187 hospitalizations and two deaths. Illnesses and deaths have also been linked to the consumption of fresh cheese made from unpasteurized milk, notably the Queso Fresco style cheeses popular in Hispanic communities.

1998年至2008年间，美国疾病控制与预防中心共收到85起因食用生奶导致大规模感染的报告，共有1,614人报告患病，187人因病住院，2人死亡。患病与死亡的案例也与食用未经巴氏杀菌的牛奶制成的新鲜乳酪有关，特别是广受西班牙裔族群欢迎的Queso Fresco乳酪。

Even healthy cows with no symptoms of disease can harbor harmfulbacteria, according to Robert Tauxe, deputydirector of the CDC's food-borne and bacterial diseases division. It may colonize in their udders and be excreted during milking. Milk can also be contaminated by the farm environment, where bacteria from manure can spread and cause disease, he says.

美国疾病控制与预防中心食物与细菌疾病部副主任陶克斯(Robert Tauxe)说，无病症的健康奶牛也可能携带有害菌。它可能寄生在奶牛的乳房中，并在挤奶时分泌到牛奶中。他说，奶也可能受到牧场环境的污染，肥料中的细菌可能会扩散并导致疾病发生。

While pregnant women, children and the elderly are especially vulnerable, many victims of outbreaks around the country in recent years have been healthy young adults.

Kalee Prue, a 29-year old Connecticut mother of one, says she believed in the benefits of raw milk but became ill soon after drinking some purchased at a Whole Foods in Connecticut linked to the E. coli outbreak.

孕妇、儿童和老人特别容易受到感染，同时近年来美国大规模感染事件中许多健康的年轻人也成为被感染者。

普鲁(Kalee Prue)今年29岁，住在康涅狄格州，是一名孩子的母亲。她说她曾相信喝生奶有好处，但在饮用了从康州的一家Whole Foods超市购买的生奶后却生病了。这与大肠埃希氏菌(E. coli)大规模感染事件有关。

She was eventually diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can be caused when an E. coli infection produces toxic substances that destroy red-blood cells and damage the kidneys. She has undergone blood transfusions and is at risk for long-term kidney complications that may require a transplant. Her attorney, William Marler, says she has incurred over $230,000 in medical bills, and he is in discussions with Whole Foods to see if the matter can be resolved without a suit.

她最后被诊断为溶血性尿毒综合症，病因可能是大肠埃希氏菌感染产生的有毒物质破坏了红血球并对肾脏造成损伤。她接受了输血治疗，目前有罹患长期肾病并发症的风险，可能需要接受肾脏移植。她的律师马勒(William Marler)说，普鲁因此产生的医疗费已超过230,000美元，目前他正与Whole Foods公司商讨看是否能不通过诉讼的方式解决这个问题。

Ms. Prue, for her part, says even if there are healthy properties in raw milk, 'there are other ways to get the benefits that raw milk has to offer, and it just isn't worth the risk.'

Whole Foods declined comment on Ms. Prue's case.
普鲁说，就算生奶中有一些健康物质，也能通过其它方式获得，不值得为此冒险。

Whole Foods公司拒绝就普鲁之事置评。

Before 1938, when pasteurization was widely adopted, cow's milk accounted for about 25% of all food- and water-borne disease outbreaks. But with the growing popularity of raw milk products, 'people don't remember the bad old days,' the CDC's Dr. Tauxe says. 'Pasteurization was one of the triumphs of public health that protected many people and saved many lives.'

1938年之前，美国曾广泛使用巴氏杀菌法处理奶制品，当时所有由食品与水导致的疾病大规模爆发事件中，与牛奶相关的占25%左右。美国疾病控制与预防中心的陶克斯说，但随着生奶制品越来越流行，人们忘记了过去糟糕的日子。巴氏杀菌法是公共卫生领域的成就之一，保护了许多人，挽救了许多人的生命。

Raw-milk advocates believe that pasteurization kills healthful vitamins, minerals and enzymes in milk, as well as beneficialbacteria. Dr. Tauxe says that pasteurization does lead to slight changes in taste, but that even a small vitamin loss has no significantimpact on overall nutritional value.

生奶倡导者相信巴氏杀菌过程破坏了奶中对健康有益的维生素、矿物质和益生菌。陶克斯说巴氏杀菌的确会导致奶的味道出现轻微改变，但维生素即使少量流失也不会显著影响奶的整体营养价值。

Sally Fallon Morrell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which promotes the consumption of 'nutrient-dense whole foods,' including raw milk, says the risks described from the CDC and FDA are 'way overblown' and that the there is ample evidence that raw milk has many health properties. Ms. Morrell says as many as three million people a year consume raw milk products in the U.S.

Michele Jay-Russell, a researcher and veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, recommends that consumers looking for health benefits from 'good bacteria' try less risky products such as probiotic yogurts and kefirs made from pasteurized milk, or take nutritional supplements.

温斯顿•普莱斯基金会(Weston A. Price Foundation)总裁莫雷尔(Sally Fallon Morrell)说，美国疾病控制与预防中心和食品和药物管理局过分夸大了生奶的风险，有充足的证据表明生奶中有许多健康物质。她说美国每年有多达300 万人食用生奶制品。温斯顿•普莱斯基金会倡导人们食用生奶等"营养丰富的天然食物"。

加州大学戴维斯分校(University of California, Davis)兽医兼研究员罗素(Michele Jay-Russell)建议，若消费者期待通过食用益生菌促进身体健康，可尝试由巴氏奶加工而成的益生菌酸奶和酸奶酒等低风险制品，或服用营养补充剂。

Laura Landro

• healthy [´helθi] a.健康的 (初中词汇)
• harmful [´hɑ:mful] a.有害的 (初中词汇)
• administration [əd,minis´treiʃən] n.管理(事务等)；经营 (初中词汇)
• strengthen [´streŋθən, ´strenθən] vt.加强 vi.变强 (初中词汇)
• federal [´fedərəl] a.联邦的，联邦制的 (初中词汇)
• cheese [tʃi:z] n.干酪，乳酪 (初中词汇)
• director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中词汇)
• attorney [ə´tə:ni] n.代理人；律师 (初中词汇)
• medical [´medikəl] a.医学的；医疗的 (初中词汇)
• comment [´kɔment] n.&v.评论；评注；注意 (初中词汇)
• foundation [faun´deiʃən] n.建立；基金；地基 (初中词汇)
• consume [kən´sju:m] v.毁灭；浪费；憔悴 (初中词汇)
• california [,kæli´fɔ:njə] n.加利福尼亚 (初中词汇)
• ultimate [´ʌltimit] a.最终的 n.终极；顶点 (高中词汇)
• consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən] n.消耗；结核病 (高中词汇)
• deputy [´depjuti] n.代理人；代表 (高中词汇)
• environment [in´vaiərənmənt] n.郊区；周围；条件 (高中词汇)
• infection [in´fekʃən] n.感染，影响 (高中词汇)
• popularity [,pɔpju´læriti] n.普及；流行；名望 (高中词汇)
• significant [sig´nifikənt] a.重要的；意义重大的 (高中词汇)
• bacteria [bæk´tiəriə] n.细菌 (四级词汇)
• prevention [pri´venʃən] n.预防；阻止；妨碍 (四级词汇)
• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (四级词汇)
• manure [mə´njuə] n.粪肥 vt.施肥于 (四级词汇)
• elderly [´eldəli] a. 较老的，年长的 (四级词汇)
• eventually [i´ventʃuəli] ad.最后，终于 (四级词汇)
• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (四级词汇)
• healthful [´helθfəl] a.卫生的，有益健康的 (四级词汇)
• beneficial [,beni´fiʃəl] a.有利的，有益的 (四级词汇)
• minimize [´minimaiz] vt.将...减至最小量 (六级词汇)
• notably [´nəutəbli] ad.显著地；著名地 (六级词汇)
• pregnant [´pregnənt] a.怀孕的；含蓄的 (六级词汇)
• undergone [,ʌndə´gɔn] undergo的过去分词 (六级词汇)
• kidney [´kidni] n.肾；性格；脾气 (六级词汇)
• transplant [træns´plɑ:nt, -plænt] vt.移植(种)；迁移 (六级词汇)
• impact [´impækt] n.影响，作用；冲击 (六级词汇)