Bills proposed in the Iowa and Arkansas legislatures that would have allowed the sale of raw milk were recently defeated, signifying a continuing distrust that many consumers feel for unpasteurized dairy products.
Raw milk has long been a touchy subject in many parts of the country. While federal law and regulations prevent raw milk from being transported across state lines, many individual states have passed their own statues governing the sale of raw milk within their borders. Some state ban the sales entirely, while some allow local sales.
In Iowa and Arkansas, state representatives had proposed sweeping changes to the way that raw milk was regulated. The Arkansas law would have legalized the sale of raw goat and cow milk at dairy farms. The Iowa bill would have significantly reduced the ability of the state to regulate almost any element of raw milk sales or production.
The milk bills were both opposed by major elements of the medical community. According to one University of Arkansas Medical Sciences professor, “there is little question in my mind that drinking raw milk is risky. There is no question that pathogenic organisms are present in raw milk and that they are removed partially or completely destroyed by pasteurization.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer