These outbreaks are fueling both sides of the national debate over whether raw milk should be available to those who want to buy it. Is raw milk safe to drink? How can pasteurized milk be linked to a foodborne illness outbreak – isn`t pasteurization supposed to make it safe? But I am talking here about nutrition, which is necessarily reductive when it comes to food. Here are the things that really matter: 1) Small-scale farming and animal husbandry allow for a level of care that does not seem scalable for massive commercial operations. This applies in particular to milk production. 2) Farmers who produce raw milk tend to be extremely conscientious. They personally know every animal on their property, just as a shepherd gets to know every member of his flock. 3) Raw milk producers instinctively resist oversimplification of the cultivation process. For example, some producers attach great importance to having their dairy cows A1 or A2, a designation that refers to the fact that both milks contain different types of a protein called beta-casein, which some say is especially important for people who have difficulty digesting milk. Some place great importance on the particular breed of cow, a Holstein – known for its considerable milk production – compared to a Jersey cow, which generally produces fewer gallons of better quality. Others choose to focus more on soil health, hygiene and taste of the final product. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Questions and Answers on Raw Milk However, states can still establish their own regulations for the sale of raw milk within their borders.
There are currently 28 states that allow retail or farm-gate sale of raw milk, including Connecticut. Of the dairy-related outbreaks reported to the CDC between 1973 and 2009, where researchers indicated whether the product was pasteurized or raw, 82 percent were due to raw milk or cheese. From 1998 to 2009, 93 outbreaks were reported to the CDC due to consumption of raw milk or raw milk products. This resulted in 1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. Most of these diseases have been caused by Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter or Salmonella. It is important to note that a significant portion of the burden of disease associated with raw milk falls on children; Of the 93 outbreaks of raw milk products from 1998 to 2009, 79% involved at least one person under the age of 20. In Connecticut, those who drink raw milk can purchase raw milk from farms, dairy stores, and retail outlets in that state. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) regulates the Connecticut dairy industry. Producers of raw milk and raw milk cheese (called retail raw milk and retail raw milk cheese) must register with the GoC and obtain a business licence. The regulation also states that «the Milk Regulatory Council, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 54, shall issue regulations establishing standards for the hygiene, production, sale, labelling, retail handling and storage of raw milk, and the production of raw milk cheese.» Paragraphs 22 to 167. Local regulations for the sale of milk.
The sale of raw milk is legal on the farm and in retail stores. To operate legally, farmers must obtain producer permits and raw milk retail sales permits from the State Commissioner of Agriculture. In addition, they must obtain a dairy dealer`s license from the health department of the city where their farms are located. «The quality of the milk is much better when the cows can graze outside. But you need to keep them away from the wild onion. This is done by experienced farmer and raw milk producer Susanne Sankow, who cares for ten cows in addition to her award-winning chickens and cheese lambs. All the animals on their farm – except, of course, the newborn, which is threatened by predators – have access to the outdoor space almost day and night. States may enact their own laws on the sale of raw milk. However, at the federal level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits the sale or distribution of raw milk between states. All milk sold across state borders must be pasteurized and meet the standards of U.S. pasteurized milk regulations.
Weston Price Foundation testing is conducted to determine whether a producer`s raw milk meets the quality standards set by the Commissioner. All of these tests must be performed in accordance with the procedures outlined in the latest edition of the Standard Methods of Testing Dairy Products published by the American Public Health Association. This test must show that the producer`s milk meets the following standards: Section 22-133-113c. Quality standards for raw milk in retail If consumers are allowed to make their own choices about the foods they eat (i.e., eating raw clams and oysters is legal in all states, although some health authorities require a warning label on the menu), they must make those decisions based on the information available at that time about the risk of those choices. In the film Napoleon Dynamite, the main character dominates a FFA (Future Farmers of America) milk tasting contest by explaining about the second tasting of the flight: «It feels like the cow had entered a bed of onions.» In raw milk production, every little thing counts; Like all foods with a subtle taste, raw milk has no secrets. The National Milk Regulatory Council has issued a regulation on quality standards for raw milk sold at retail. The state does not charge a fee for the tests required to ensure milk quality. Notwithstanding the Quality Standards Ordinance, cities and municipalities have the power to prohibit the retail sale of raw milk. Currently, only two cities have done so. Nothing in sections 22 through 133 affects the power of a city, town or county to issue orders respecting the sale or distribution of milk within its boundaries that may be harmful to public health. In any city or municipality where no local milk and cream control system is provided for by a charter, the local health director or the health authority may, at a meeting of informed electors held for that purpose, decide on the proposed rules and regulations for the inspection of dairies and the production, maintenance, handling, marketing or selling milk or cream, Protection of the public from the use of milk or cream, which may affect public health, and licensing of dairy dealers. As of April 2016, the sale of raw milk in stores in 13 states is legal.
17 states allow the sale of raw milk only on farms; 8 of the states that prohibit the sale allow the purchase of raw milk only through cow-sharing agreements; and 20 other states prohibit the sale of raw milk. Drinking or consuming raw milk is legal in all 50 states. With the exception of Michigan, no state specifically prohibits the sale of raw milk for animal feed. Prior to the 20th century, an estimated 25% of all foodborne and waterborne illnesses were related to milk consumption. Studies on the role of milk and the spread of disease at that time showed that to combat milk-borne diseases, hygiene measures should be taken to ensure the safety of milk in the production, handling, pasteurization and distribution of milk and milk products. In 1924, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) developed the Standard Milk Ordinance, which was not a regulation but a guide, and encouraged states to adopt it. This regulation has been iterated several times and is now known as the Class A Pasteurized Milk Regulations. The last version will be released in 2003. Most states, including Connecticut, have adopted this regulation as a method of regulating dairy products. When it comes to raw dairy, some people just can`t go. You`ve heard of someone who is sick with raw milk and is naturally hesitant to take the potential health risks of eating a raw animal product. Some people need their burger well made.
I would be remiss if I had addressed their concerns. But if there is such a thing as «doing God`s work,» I have to say that from what I`ve gathered, raw milk producers do. They have taken the path they have taken less, and that makes all the difference. Most milk is pasteurized before being sold as liquid milk or before being processed into cheese or ice cream. During pasteurization, raw milk is heated as it is shaken so that each particle of milk, including foam, reaches a temperature of 145°F. It is then held at 145°F for 30 minutes. Or processors can heat milk to 161°F and hold it for 30 seconds. The heating process destroys pathogenic microorganisms that cause foodborne illness. «The reason there is no aftertaste in the barn is that the cows can be outside where they can ventilate and they are not overcrowded in the barn. On large dairy farms, cows are crammed together. They sweat and rub against each other.
Think of a crowded cloakroom. These odors are absorbed by the skin, then it`s in their blood, and it all ends up in the milk. «(b) standard quality. The standard quality of raw milk at retail must meet the requirements of sections 22 through 152 of the Connecticut General Acts. a) Number of bacteria. Raw milk in retail stores must not exceed thirty thousand (30,000) standard bacterial count colonies per milliliter and fifty (50) coliform bacteria per milliliter.