The Missouri legislative body is considering loosening regulations on the distribution of raw milk. This shift comes amidst growing support despite the associated health risks. As per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, consuming unpasteurized milk can lead to exposure to harmful bacteria like salmonella, E. coli and listeria, resulting in food-related diseases. However, ardent proponents advocate for the potential health advantages of raw milk, contributing to its increasing popularity.
An analysis of Google Trends data indicates a substantial surge in the search query for ‘raw milk’ over the past few years. Also adding momentum to this movement is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Donald Trump recently appointed to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The department supervises the FDA, and Kennedy has committed to curbing the FDA’s tough stance on raw milk.
Regulations related to raw milk vary across states. In Missouri, the law permits residents to buy raw milk directly from cow farms, albeit with certain conditions. Consumers have to either visit the farm to collect the milk or opt for direct to door delivery from the farmer. However, raw milk cannot be sold at retail shops or delivered to ‘drop locations’.
A bill has been introduced by Jill Carter, a Republican state senator from Granby, a city located in southwest Missouri. This bill, if passed, would permit raw milk sales at farmers markets. Moreover, it would permit consumers to buy raw milk directly from farmers and pick it up later from a grocery store. However, the grocery stores would not be authorized to sell raw milk directly to consumers.
Carter’s legislation received preliminary approval in the House in 2020, but it is yet to gain final approval. In the Senate, several lobbyists representing various agriculture organizations recorded their opposition against Carter’s bill in 2023, resulting in the proposal’s stagnation. This resistance came from groups such as the Missouri Dairy Association, the Missouri Grocers Association, the Missouri Farm Bureau, and the Missouri Soybean Association.
Critics of the bill, including the Missouri Cattleman’s Association and a representative of the State Milk Board, worry about the potential public health danger raw milk could present. A former legislator and current head of the Missouri Grocers Association stated that food safety is of paramount importance, especially in relation to dairy products.
Owners of raw milk companies are hopeful of the positive implications of this bill. A dairy farmer based in Cabool, who also owns a raw milk company, spoke of her wish to see grocery store deliveries or farmers market sales legitimized. She commented that there is a growing consumer interest in understanding the source of their food, with many customers showing a preference for natural products.
A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Infection in 2022 linked 675 illnesses from 2013 to 2018 to the consumption of unpasteurized milk. Intriguingly, almost half of the cases were reported in individuals aged 19 and younger. Pasteurization, a process designed in the 19th century, where milk is heated to destroy harmful bacteria is the norm for grocery stores selling milk in Missouri.
A co-owner of a dairy in Washington, Missouri, compared the pasteurization of milk to cooking meat, both processes serving to rectify potential health risks. Currently, the dairy industry in Missouri is grappling with the implication of the bird flu outbreak in cattle. The FDA recognises pasteurization as a method to inactivate the virus.
The risk to the dairy sector became more real when the California Department of Public Health recently issued a recall for milk products. It was due to the detection of H5N1, or bird flu, in samples produced by Raw Farm. Yet, in an unexpected development, rumors are rife that the CEO of this California-based company might join the forthcoming administration as the ‘raw milk advisor’.
Thus, legislative decisions in 2023 could mean significant changes for the raw milk sector in Missouri. Despite the health risks associated with raw, unpasteurized milk, public interest in the health benefits of raw milk is on the rise. A balance between safety and legislation compliance is needed, with the potential bill suggesting an evolution in regulatory framework and an opportunity for more dairy farmers and companies to expand their operations.
The continued debate around raw milk showcases the dynamic interaction between public health safety, market trends, regulatory norms, and political influence. The outcome, whether it leans towards the unimpeded sale of raw milk or continues to uphold the pasteurization norm, will invariably impact consumers, dairy farmers, and supermarkets.
The bill under scrutiny is Senate Bill 395. Proposed by Senator Jill Carter, it seeks to liberalise the laws governing raw dairy. It represents a milestone in raw dairy legislation, and depending on its passage, could potentially redraw the landscape of the dairy industry in Missouri and perhaps, even across the United States.