Most milk found in grocery stores in the United States undergoes a type of processing called pasteurization. Technically, this makes milk a processed food. But while ultra-processed foods are linked to health issues, processed food doesn’t always mean unhealthy. In some cases, processing even makes food safer!

Take milk, for example. Since milk pasteurization became the norm over 100 years ago, it’s “greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes.

Here, Senior Clinical Dietitian Patricia Rosemond explains pasteurization, the risks of drinking unpasteurized, or raw, milk and advice for adding dairy to your diet during cancer treatment.