Can you eat raw grass-fed butter? Weighing the Risks and Benefits

November 8, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the CDC, there were 202 outbreaks linked to drinking raw milk between 1998 and 2018, resulting in 228 hospitalizations. This raises important questions about the safety of all unpasteurized dairy products, including whether you can eat raw grass-fed butter.

Quick Summary

Eating raw, unpasteurized grass-fed butter carries risks of foodborne illness from bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria, despite claims of enhanced nutrients and flavor.

Key Points

Significant Health Risks: Raw butter carries a risk of dangerous bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can cause severe foodborne illness.
Unproven Health Claims: Many health benefits attributed to raw butter, such as improved digestion from live enzymes, lack clear scientific consensus.
Grass-Fed Benefits are not Raw-Exclusive: Most nutritional advantages of grass-fed butter, like higher Omega-3s and CLA, are present even after pasteurization.
Avoid High-Risk Groups: Pregnant women, children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals should never consume raw butter or any other raw dairy.
Pasteurization is a Safety Standard: Regulatory bodies endorse pasteurization as the proven method for making dairy products safe for consumption.
Safe Alternatives Exist: Pasteurized grass-fed butter and ghee offer similar nutritional benefits without the serious health risks associated with raw products.

What is Raw Grass-Fed Butter?

To understand the safety of this product, it's essential to define its two primary components: "raw" and "grass-fed." Raw butter is made from cream that has not been pasteurized, meaning it has not been heated to kill potential pathogens. Grass-fed butter comes from cows that graze primarily on a grass-based diet, which can lead to a different nutritional profile compared to butter from conventionally fed cows. The combination is a product some enthusiasts seek for its perceived nutritional superiority and unique flavor.

The Perceived Benefits of Raw Grass-Fed Butter

Advocates for raw, grass-fed butter point to several potential benefits, primarily linked to the lack of pasteurization and the cow's diet. These benefits often include higher levels of certain vitamins and beneficial fats, though regulatory bodies contest some of these claims.

Higher Nutrient Retention: Raw butter is celebrated for retaining naturally occurring enzymes and beneficial bacteria that are destroyed during the pasteurization process. Proponents claim this makes it easier for the body to digest.
Enhanced Omega-3 and CLA: Grass-fed dairy is consistently higher in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that some studies have linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers.
Rich in Fat-Soluble Vitamins: As raw, grass-fed butter comes from cows with a grass-rich diet, it naturally contains more beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A by the body and gives the butter its rich yellow color. It is also a source of vitamins D and K2.
Unique Flavor Profile: The flavor of raw butter can be more complex, rich, and slightly tangy, particularly with cultured raw butter varieties. The taste is said to reflect the cows' diet and seasonal changes.

The Significant Risks of Consuming Raw Dairy

Despite the claims of enthusiasts, the most critical factor to consider is the significant risk of foodborne illness associated with any raw dairy product. Public health organizations, including the FDA and CDC, strongly recommend against consuming raw milk and its byproducts due to this danger.

Potential Pathogens

Salmonella
E. coli
Listeria
Campylobacter

These dangerous bacteria, and others like Brucella, can be present in raw milk even from healthy-looking animals and clean dairy environments. Contamination can occur during the milking process, handling, or from the cow's environment. Pasteurization is the only reliable method to eliminate these pathogens and ensure the product is safe for consumption.

Documented Outbreaks

Reports show that raw dairy products are a recurring source of foodborne illness outbreaks. In some cases, these illnesses can lead to severe or life-threatening conditions, such as kidney failure (from E. coli), paralysis (from Guillain-Barré syndrome), or miscarriage (from Listeria). While butter has a lower moisture content than milk, which some proponents claim reduces risk, experts state that pathogens can still survive.

High-Risk Populations

Certain groups are especially vulnerable to serious illness from raw dairy and should avoid it completely. This includes:

Pregnant women
Children and teenagers
Older adults
Individuals with weakened immune systems (e.g., people with cancer, HIV/AIDS, or organ transplants)

A Comparison: Raw Grass-Fed vs. Conventional Pasteurized Butter


Feature	Raw Grass-Fed Butter	Conventional Pasteurized Butter
Pasteurization	No	Yes
Key Nutritional Features	Richer in Omega-3s, CLA, vitamins (A, K2, D), and contains live enzymes and probiotics due to raw, grass-fed status.	Contains vitamins (A, D) and healthy fats, but potentially in lower quantities compared to grass-fed. Enzymes and probiotics are destroyed during heating.
Flavor	Unique, complex, and potentially tangy taste from live cultures. Can vary seasonally.	Consistent, milder flavor profile due to pasteurization. Flavor is uniform year-round.
Food Safety	Significant Risk. Can harbor dangerous bacteria. Public health organizations strongly advise against it.	Generally Safe. The pasteurization process is designed to eliminate harmful pathogens.
Shelf Life	Shorter shelf life; requires careful refrigeration and should be consumed quickly. May sour over time rather than molding.	Long shelf life, typically months if refrigerated.
Availability	Restricted and often sold directly from local farms. Legal in some but not all areas.	Widely available in supermarkets.

Conclusion: Can You Eat Raw Grass-Fed Butter?

Ultimately, whether you choose to consume raw grass-fed butter depends on your personal risk tolerance and perspective on food safety. While raw dairy enthusiasts promote potential benefits related to nutrient density, live enzymes, and unique flavor, these advantages are unproven and carry significant, scientifically-backed risks. Public health experts are clear that pasteurization is the only guaranteed way to eliminate harmful pathogens that can cause foodborne illness.

For those who prioritize safety and the consensus of major health organizations, commercially available pasteurized grass-fed butter offers many of the same nutritional benefits (like higher Omega-3s and CLA from the cow's diet) without the associated health risks. High-risk individuals should never consume any raw dairy product. For everyone else, the decision hinges on weighing the perceived, unproven benefits against documented and potentially serious health dangers.

Expert Recommendations and Safe Alternatives

For those interested in the benefits of grass-fed butter without the risk, a number of safe alternatives are available:

Pasteurized Grass-Fed Butter: This widely available option offers the omega-3s, CLA, and vitamins of grass-fed dairy without the pathogenic risk of raw products. Brands like Kerrygold are common in many supermarkets.
Grass-Fed Ghee: As a clarified butter, ghee is pure butterfat with the milk solids removed. This process and its high smoke point make it an excellent, dairy-sensitive option with many of the benefits of grass-fed fats.
Omega-3 Supplements: Those seeking to boost their intake of Omega-3s and CLA can turn to fortified foods or supplements rather than risking raw dairy.

For those still considering raw butter, it is crucial to source the product from a reputable farm with rigorous hygiene standards, though this still does not guarantee safety. You should also be aware of and abide by local laws, as the sale and consumption of raw dairy are restricted in many places. Ultimately, the safest choice for maximizing health benefits while eliminating risk is to opt for pasteurized dairy products.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, raw grass-fed butter is not considered safe for everyone. Public health agencies advise against consuming raw dairy products due to the risk of dangerous bacterial contamination, which is especially hazardous for pregnant women, young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

The main difference is the heating process. Raw butter is made from unpasteurized cream and retains natural enzymes and bacteria, while pasteurized butter is heated to kill harmful pathogens and enzymes, making it safer to eat with a longer shelf life.

Yes, many of the nutritional benefits associated with a cow's grass-fed diet, such as higher levels of Omega-3s, CLA, and beta-carotene, are not significantly affected by pasteurization. Heat primarily impacts enzymes and live bacteria.

Raw butter contains beneficial bacteria and cultures that are considered probiotic, but consuming it for this purpose involves taking on the risk of exposure to harmful pathogens. Probiotics can be safely obtained from fermented foods like yogurt or kefir made with pasteurized milk.

Even on a farm with high sanitary standards, contamination can occur during the milking process or from the animal itself. Pathogens can be present in raw milk even if the cow appears healthy, and they are not visible to the naked eye.

The heat from cooking will destroy the live enzymes and beneficial bacteria in raw butter, effectively negating the 'raw' benefit. Cooking raw butter also eliminates any risk of bacterial contamination.

Yes, pasteurized grass-fed butter or grass-fed ghee are safer alternatives. These options provide the Omega-3s, CLA, and vitamins associated with a grass-fed diet without the risks posed by harmful bacteria.