By Scott Bauer, Associated Press Writer, Madison, WI, May 5, 2010.
Raw milk advocates hope passage of Wis. bill will encourage other states to legalize sales too. The legislation, Senate Bill 434, would allow licensed producers to sell raw milk through the end of next year if they obtain a license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, adhere to regular testing, label each bottle as ‘unpasteurized,’ and include both the producer’s name and license number on the label, according to Wisconsin Ag Connection. Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education removed the clause that would prevent lawsuits against farmers who sold tainted milk when they passed the bill last month.
The bill was authored by Senator Pat Kreitlow and Rep. Chris Danou, with key amendments drafted in cooperation with Senator Sheila Harsdorf. Danou says the Senate’s actions are about ‘rural economic development,’ and he thinks its a win-win situation for family farmers who have found a way to add value to their businesses.
“This vote is a major victory for the right of the informed consumer to make their own choices,” Kreitlow said. “The passage of the bill will go a long way towards eliminating the black market of illegal raw milk sales that exists as well as addressing the public health concerns that come with it.”
Although federal law makes it illegal to sell raw milk across state lines, 25 states allow raw milk to be sold directly to consumers or through retail outlets. Opponents, however, say producers free choice should not be held above consumer safety.
Raw milk advocates hope passage of Wis. bill will encourage other states to legalize sales too. The legislation, Senate Bill 434, would allow licensed producers to sell raw milk through the end of next year if they obtain a license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, adhere to regular testing, label each bottle as ‘unpasteurized,’ and include both the producer’s name and license number on the label, according to Wisconsin Ag Connection. Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education removed the clause that would prevent lawsuits against farmers who sold tainted milk when they passed the bill last month.
The bill was authored by Senator Pat Kreitlow and Rep. Chris Danou, with key amendments drafted in cooperation with Senator Sheila Harsdorf. Danou says the Senate’s actions are about ‘rural economic development,’ and he thinks its a win-win situation for family farmers who have found a way to add value to their businesses.
“This vote is a major victory for the right of the informed consumer to make their own choices,” Kreitlow said. “The passage of the bill will go a long way towards eliminating the black market of illegal raw milk sales that exists as well as addressing the public health concerns that come with it.”
Although federal law makes it illegal to sell raw milk across state lines, 25 states allow raw milk to be sold directly to consumers or through retail outlets. Opponents, however, say producers free choice should not be held above consumer safety.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau sent a memo to legislators urging them to stop the bill because of the impact just one disease outbreak could have on the entire dairy industry, according to Wisconsin Ag.
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control claims drinking raw milk may pose significant health risks, because without pasteurization, the process that heats milk to a specific temperature to kill harmful bacteria, milk can potentially carry disease-causing organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.
Supporters of raw milk argues that the pasteurization process destroys beneficial bacteria and enzymes.
Wisconsin State Assembly will vote on the bill before it becomes law.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection
Resources/Literature:
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control claims drinking raw milk may pose significant health risks, because without pasteurization, the process that heats milk to a specific temperature to kill harmful bacteria, milk can potentially carry disease-causing organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.
Supporters of raw milk argues that the pasteurization process destroys beneficial bacteria and enzymes.
Wisconsin State Assembly will vote on the bill before it becomes law.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection
Resources/Literature:
- Farmer fined for selling raw milk without permit. By Karen Castelli, May 05, 2008, MIDSTATE NEWS, The Patriot-News.
- Centers for Disease Control. “Raw Milk and Cheeses: Health Risks are Still Black and White,”
- New York Times. “Should This Milk Be Legal?”
- USA Today. “Debate grows over raw milk,”; 16 Oct. 2009.
- The Gainsville Sun, Oct. 20, 2009
- FDA. “The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk,” Sept., 2009
- Information about raw milk
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_milk
- List of raw milk outbreaks (1998-2005)
- FDA and CDC Remind Consumers of the Dangers of Drinking Raw Milk
- Investigation of Raw Milk Outbreaks
- Raw milk – Statement by Health Canada.
- Safety Questions About Unpasteurized Milk. By Kent Garber, US World Report and News, April 18, 2008.
- The Udder truth: By HANNAH WALLACE
- Raw Milk and Raw Milk Products, Safety, Health, Economic and Legal Issues: by Lee Dexter & Sally Fallon
- Making their case for raw milk, By Jan Ellen Spiegel, The New York Times, Feb 24, 2008
- Raw Milk Health Threats Outweigh Alleged Benefits: Ohio State Study, Jan. 12, 2009
- Tuberculosis in Animals, can it give people TB?
- New bacteria discovered in raw milk
- The raw milk debate rages on. By Elena Conis, Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2009.
- The Raw Milk Debate: Economic Opportunity or Legal Liability. Catherine Donnelly, Professor, Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Vermont.
- Raw Milk Consumption – Legal Implications of Raw Milk and Case Studies. By William D. Marler. Presentation at the American Veterinary Medical Association, July 9, 2009
- 2nd Annual International Raw Milk Symposium
- Public Health Agencies Warn of Outbreaks Related to Drinking Raw Milk March 26, 2010
- Is raw, unpasteurized milk safe? By Maureen O’Hagan, Seattle Times staff reporter, March 20, 2010
- Raw Milk at Retail: A Glass of Confusion? By Colin Caywood, Food safety News, Jan. 7, 2010.
- Lawmakers negotiate for raw milk options in Idaho, By Carol Ryan Dumas, Capital Press, March 25, 2010.
- Raw-milk fans fight bans, By Michael L. Crumb, Associated Press, The Washington Times, March 2, 2010
- The great milk debate: raw vs. Pasteurized, By Erin Gudeux, Consumer Reports, March 25, 2010
- Raw Milk and Raw Milk products. by Lee Dexter and Sally Fallon, Weston A. Price Foundation
- Rancidity studies on mixtures of raw and pasteurized homogenized milk. By Larsen et. al., Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 24 No. 9 771-788
- Raw milk pros: Review of the peer-reviewed literature. By Marler Clark, Food Consumer.org, June 6, 2008.
- Raw milk fact sheet. National Dairy Council.
- FDA Issues a Warning Letter to a Dairy Selling Raw Milk. April 20, 2010.
- Pennsylvania Regulations for Sale of Unpasteurized Milk. By Dr. Sandy Costello, College of Agriculture, Penn State.
- Whole Foods and PCC Natural Foods pull raw milk from Dairy departments. By Cookson Beecher, Food Safety News, April 14, 2010.
- Raw Milk Crackdown By Mike Riggs, The Daily Caller, Published on April 26, 2010.
- The Raw Milk Debate: Don’t Have a Cow by Barry Estabrook, The Atlantic, Published on April 12, 2010
- Raw Milk Association of Colorado, website: association of raw milk producers and consumers. Assessed on May 4, 2010.
- Directories of Raw Milk Dairies in Washington State: Website: Washington Raw Milk. Assessed on May 4, 2010.
- Tennesseans for Raw Milk.com. Assessed on May 4, 2010.
- Wisconsin Legalization of Raw Milk Seen as Benchmark. By Scott Bauer, Associated Press Writer, Madison, WI, May 5, 2010. Raw milk advocates hope passage of Wis. bill will encourage other states to legalize sales too.
- Raw Milk Discussion in State of Utah
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