Experts: Unpasteurized milk not main source of tuberculosis risk

Amid renewed debate over the health risks of consuming unpasteurized milk and its alleged link to tuberculosis, Moroccan health and food safety experts are urging the public to rely on science and avoid misinformation.

Abdelghani Azzi, Director of Food Product Monitoring at the National Food Safety Office (ONSSA), clarified that there are two distinct bacteria responsible for tuberculosis: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes the vast majority of human cases and is transmitted through airborne droplets between people, and Mycobacterium bovis, a bovine strain responsible for only a small fraction of cases.

Citing World Health Organization (WHO) data, Azzi noted that over 95% of TB infections in humans are due to the human-to-human variant, not from animals or animal products. “Tuberculosis is fundamentally a human disease,” he told Hespress, emphasizing that fears around milk consumption are often scientifically unfounded.

On the food safety front, Azzi reassured the public that ONSSA conducts regular inspections of licensed dairy producers and daily monitoring of meat in national slaughterhouses to ensure health standards are met.

Echoing that stance, Dr. Taib Hamdi, a physician and health policy researcher, warned against what he described as “scientific misinformation” about milk being a primary source of TB. “Only one in every 20 global TB cases is animal-derived. The remaining 95% are transmitted between humans,” he said.

Hamdi added that unpasteurized milk is not the sole transmission path from animals to humans. “Undercooked meat, contaminated animal organs, or direct contact with infected animals can also pose risks,” he explained.

He cautioned that focusing solely on milk overlooks two larger issues: the dominant role of human transmission in TB cases and the broader range of illnesses—such as diarrhea, food poisoning, and other serious diseases—that untreated milk can cause.

Experts agree the key to TB prevention lies in identifying and treating human cases and promoting safe hygiene practices. They recommend boiling or pasteurizing milk, and ensuring proper storage and handling to protect public health.

“The real risk is human transmission, not milk,” Hamdi concluded. “Effective protection begins with scientific awareness, strict monitoring, and healthy behavior.”