Michigan lawmakers propose allowing sale of raw milk in state
(Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan lawmakers introduced bills to legalize the sale of raw milk in the state.
Currently, milk sold in Michigan for human consumption must be pasteurized.
Current laws:
Per state law, unpasteurized milk is only allowed to be sold if it is used to make cheese that is aged for more than 60 days.
There are loopholes around this, known as herd sharing, that allow people to access raw milk by owning part of a herd and receiving milk from that herd, but any milk actually being sold is required to be pasteurized.
What the bill says:
These bills would not allow raw milk to be sold at grocery stores, but instead would make it legal for farmers to sell raw milk and dairy products directly to consumers. More than a dozen states already allow such a practice, according to A Campaign for Real Milk, a website run by raw milk activists.
The bill also sets requirements for raw milk and raw milk products that would be sold. For instance, raw milk cannot exceed bacterial limits of 15,000 per milliliter, and must be provided in bottles with labels showing the date the milk was bottled, the name and address of the producer, the product weight, and a note that the product is unpasteurized, could contain harmful bacteria, and is not inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
The other side:
MDARD cites the Food and Drug Administration's determination that raw milk is dangerous as a reason for banning it.
According to the FDA, "raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, and listeria."
What's next:
Primary bill sponsor Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) previously introduced a similar bill, but it did not advance.
This year's bill has been referred to the Committee on Government Operations. A date for the committee to discuss the bill has not been set.
The Source: Copies of the bills were used to report this story, along with information from A Campaign for Real Milk, the FDA, and MDARD.