The Wisconsin Farm Bureau has announced it will not support the passage of a law dealing with how raw, unpasteurized milk is sold to consumers in their state until the issue is fully examined.
Melvin Pittman, chair of the Farm Bureau’s Dairy Committtee and a dairy farmer spoke at a legislative hearing in Eau Claire, Wisc., on Wednesday about Senate Bill 434. The Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization representing the needs and interests of all farmers for all commodities.
In a state that generally prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk, SB 434 would authorize a Wisconsin dairy farmer with a certified farm to sell raw dairy products directly to consumers at the farm, if they obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
To obtain the permit, the dairy products must be prepared and filled in a sanitary manner, and the dairy farmer must display a sign warning consumers that the milk does not provide the protection of pathogens killed by pasteurization. The bill also protects dairy farmers from being liable for selling their products under the bill’s guidelines, except in cases of willful acts or omissions, according to the bill.
“The primary reason for our opposition to SB 434 is our overall concern for our $26 billion dairy industry,” Pittman said at the hearing.
“If a person becomes ill from drinking raw milk, it is not only unpasteurized milk that gets a bad image, but all milk and dairy products. Dairy farmers have invested millions of dollars promoting milk and dairy products, and we can’t afford to have an incident adversely affect consumption. Whether food scares are real or perceived, farmers are the first to see a decline in the prices they received for the livestock, crops or commodities they produce.”
Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture began reevaluating the safety of the legal sale of raw milk in the state after an outbreak of campylobacter jejuni last August. A family farm sold milk illegally through a cow sharing program, sickening 35 and putting one person in the hospital.
Pittman said the Farm Bureau has had lengthy discussions about selling raw milk directly to consumers.
“During our discussion, all points were aired and our delegates overwhelmingly supported policy maintaining current law which prohibits the sale of unpasteurized raw milk directly to consumers,” he said, adding that part of the debate over the raw milk legislation focuses on “the common good” versus “the right to personal choice,” according to the Dunn County News.
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control claims drinking raw milk may pose significant health risks, because without pasteurization, a 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 disagree with the claims made by the FDA and CDC that drinking raw milk may pose significant health risks, arguing that the pasteurization process destroys beneficial bacteria and enzymes.
Sources:
State of Wisconsin. “2009 Senate Bill 434,” http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/SB-434.pdf; accessed 15 March 2010.
The Dunn County News. “Farm Bureau's dairy committee chair testifies against raw milk bill,” http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2010/03/13/agriculture/doc4b9acff6166cb267216882.txt; 13 March 2010.
