Backers of raw milk are intensifying efforts to make the unpasteurised product more widely available and easier to obtain across the United States, even as a new outbreak—one of at least five in the past year—sickens children. The Associated Press found that more than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in statehouses nationwide, with a growing number of states legalising its sale. Dairy farmers report they can barely keep it in stock, despite prices often exceeding $10 or $20 per gallon.
Momentum Driven by Officials and Influencers
Top government officials and internet influencers are helping drive this momentum. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downed shots of raw milk at the White House last May and previously promised to halt “aggressive suppression” of the product. On social media, posts about raw milk have surged in recent months, often touting unproven claims about its health benefits.
This alarms public health officials, who have long warned that unpasteurised milk can harbour risky germs. The current outbreak—linked to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm—has sickened nine people with E. coli, half of them children under five. One victim developed a serious complication that can impair kidney function for life.
Scientific Warnings and Pasteurisation Benefits
Petra Anne Levin, a biology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, expressed bewilderment at the product's appeal. “If you wouldn’t lick a cow’s underneath, why would you drink raw milk?” she said. “There’s a reason pasteurisation is around.” Pasteurisation kills germs by heating milk, commonly to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit (71.7 degrees Celsius) for at least 15 seconds. Experts say it has no significant impact on milk’s nutritional quality and has saved millions from foodborne illness.
Despite the risks, some consumers prefer raw milk. Recognising this trend, advocates and critics alike are increasingly calling for federal regulation. “People want access,” said Mary McGonigle-Martin, co-chair of Stop Foodborne Illness. “Public health has lost the battle on raw milk.”
State-Level Legislative Push
Bills favouring raw milk have been introduced in the current legislative session in 18 states, including those controlled by both Democrats and Republicans. The AP searched legislation in all 50 states using bill-tracking software Plural and analysed bills for whether they expand or streamline access. More than 40 bills introduced as of late April would make it easier to buy, sell or consume raw milk.
Some would allow raw milk to be sold for human consumption for the first time. A bill in New Jersey’s Senate, for example, would create a raw milk permitting programme. “You can buy cigarettes. You can buy alcohol. You can buy quote-unquote legalized marijuana,” said state Sen. Michael Testa, a Republican sponsor. “Why shouldn’t someone be able to consume raw milk?” If passed, New Jersey would join more than three dozen states allowing raw milk sales. Wider access will likely mean more outbreaks, said Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers University food science professor.
Other bills seek to manage or expand already legal sales. A bill advancing in the Iowa House would make it easier for farmers to sell unpasteurised products at farm stores alongside other foods. Its sponsor, Republican state Rep. Chad Ingels, said he was initially opposed but now supports it. “But it’s law now, and I’m very pro-local foods,” he said. “I just thought it made sense to allow those farm businesses to sell all their products in one location.”
Two bills in Missouri would allow unpasteurised dairy products to be sold in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or similar places, provided they include a label warning of potential harmful bacteria and herds are tested. “We just want to make it more accessible, so that way, people have the freedom of choice,” said Republican state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, who sponsored one. The legislation specifically invokes the Raw Milk Institute, defining “retail raw milk or cream” as being produced on dairy farms meeting standards set by the California-based organisation. Wolfin sees this as a safety measure, but Schaffner said the organisation focuses on advocacy rather than risk management, noting that Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee’s farm has been linked to numerous outbreaks.
Federal Legislation and Regulation
It is unclear how many raw milk bills will pass this year, but national legislation is also under consideration. A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act, would prevent federal departments, agencies, or courts from restricting the movement of raw milk between two states where its sale is legal. Introduced in March by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree, its fate is uncertain. Legal experts say the FDA could also revoke the ban on interstate sales or create national raw milk standards. FDA officials did not respond to questions about such actions.
Documented Risks and Personal Stories
Despite raw milk's popularity, scientists and public health experts warn against drinking it. The FDA and CDC websites point to well-documented risks from germs including campylobacter, listeria, salmonella, and E. coli. A CDC review counted more than 200 outbreaks tied to raw milk between 1998 and 2018, sickening over 2,600 people and hospitalising 225. Another analysis found raw dairy products cause 840 times more illness and 45 times more hospitalisations than pasteurised counterparts. Children are especially vulnerable, noted Alex O’Brien of the Center for Dairy Research in Madison, Wisconsin.
Before milk standards were adopted over a century ago, about 25% of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. were dairy-related; now it is about 1%. In the 19th century, infant mortality from “summer diarrhea” caused by bacterial contamination in milk was rampant. O’Brien, who grew up on a farm, said he has consumed raw milk himself but acknowledges the risk increases with every exposure.
Understanding these risks has become more difficult in the current political climate, said consumer advocate Martin. Her son Chris nearly died in 2006 after drinking raw milk contaminated with E. coli. Mari Tardiff, of Ashland, Oregon, was hospitalised for five months after drinking raw milk contaminated with campylobacter in 2008, developing Guillain-Barré syndrome that left her temporarily paralysed. “Your whole life is completely blown apart,” she said. Still, she wouldn't tell other adults what to do, but worries about children consuming it.
Supporters See an Exciting Future
Proponents are gratified by the growing availability. Even in states where sales for human consumption are banned, raw milk can be marketed for pets or accessed via “herd shares.” Ben Beichler of Creambrook Farm in Virginia, which relies on herd shares, said, “To see how public perception and political perception has altered over the years with raw milk is quite exciting.” He emphasised safety: “My family and my wife, who’s currently pregnant, drink about a gallon of our own raw milk every single day. So if there’s anybody who has a vested interest in making sure our milk is safe, it is us.” His farm tests milk samples weekly.
In Missouri, Tony Huffstutter of Twisted Ash Farm & Dairy tests milk daily in an on-site lab and sells raw milk for $29 a gallon. He argued raw milk should not be treated differently from other natural products like spinach, which has caused outbreaks. “They don’t pasteurize the salad,” he said. “They don’t force you to only buy cooked salad.”
With raw milk gaining a foothold, Martin believes the best action might be for the FDA to regulate it as strictly as pasteurised dairy. McAfee agrees: “High standards and testing should be part of that.” Schaffner, favouring regulation, calls himself “a raw milk libertarian” for adults, comparing it to legalisation of weed. “If people want it, we should find a way to regulate it and do it safely.” However, he noted there is already a dependable way to make raw milk safe: “It’s called pasteurisation. And it works really well.”
